Celsia and Cubico connect Sucre to the National Transmission System

Celsia Press Release

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Celsia, an energy company of the Argos group, has completed, together with its partner Cubico Sustainable Investments, this key project for users of the Colombian Caribbean coast, which was awarded through a call for tenders by UPME as part of the works defined in the country's Electric Transmission Expansion Plan. It consists of two sections:

• Section 1: construction of the new Toluviejo substation, its connection to the Chinú substation and 40.9 km of a new 220 kV transmission line. It was energized in June 2024.
• Section 2 : construction of 115 kilometers of network and installation of 231 power towers between the Toluviejo substation and the 220 kV Bolívar substation. In the latter, a new line bay was also built. This section was recently energized.

Why is this project important?

• Increases the reliability of the National Transmission System and increases the capacity of the regional transmission system.
• For the first time, the department of Sucre was connected to the 220 kV voltage level of the National Transmission System, which allows the network operator of the area to connect to the regional transmission system and improve the security and reliability of its customers' service.
• It enables the connection of generation projects with non-conventional renewable sources.

The project concludes with figures that reflect the magnitude and complexity of this electrical infrastructure:

• It crosses nine municipalities in the departments of Córdoba, Sucre and Bolívar.
• A total of 155 kilometres of network were built, including the new 220 kV Toluviejo substation and the connection to the 220 kV Chinú and Bolívar substations.
• For both sections, 35 prior consultations were held with certified communities.
• 800 direct and indirect jobs were created at the peak of construction.

Specifically in the second section, which has just been completed, the company overcame challenges such as:

• The construction of three power towers, 107 metres high and 1 kilometre apart, over the waters of the María la Baja swamp complex.
• Crossing the Prague nature reserve, located in the municipality of Arjona, with towers of considerable height as it is a dense and wooded area. The materials had to be brought in by cable car.
• Using drone technology to assemble the cable along the entire section, thus minimising the environmental impact.

“ After completing a project of this magnitude, we can only feel proud of the importance it has for the National Transmission System and for the Caribbean coast. We connected Sucre for the first time with the 220 kV voltage level and helped reduce coastal restrictions, increasing the capacity of the regional transmission system and improving the reliability of the networks in that region and the service it provides to its customers. For Celsia and our partner Cubico Sustainable Investments, it has been a challenging project due to the extension of the infrastructure and the areas where we had to build some power towers,” said Julián Cadavid, head of Transmission and Distribution at Celsia.