Eight groups prequalify for Latin America's 1st offshore wind auction

Colombia has prequalified eight groups to participate in Latin America's first competitive bidding process for offshore wind projects, the mines and energy ministry said on Monday. 

Approved companies include PowerChina, China Three Gorges and local state-run energy firm Ecopetrol. 

"All companies that submitted applications to participate have satisfactorily complied with the legal, financial and technical requirements," the ministry said in a statement. 

The list of prequalifiers also includes Spain's BlueFloat Energy, Britain's Dyna Energy, Denmark's Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Belgian firms Jan de Nul and DEME. The full list can be seen here.

The ministry says the auction paves the way for up to 3GW of wind power capacity in Caribbean waters off the departments of Atlántico, Bolívar, Magdalena and Sucre.

According to the latest bidding documents, interested participants have until January 31 to nominate the geographical boundaries of their projects ahead of a May 29 deadline to submit offers. 

Preliminary results are scheduled to be published on July 24 and a resolution confirming the contracts is slated for August 8-15. 

Successful companies will have until November 28 to present compliance guarantees for 30-year lease agreements. 

"The participation of these world-class companies demonstrates the confidence in our country and the extraordinary potential of our offshore wind resources," Orlando Velandia, the president of national hydrocarbons agency ANH, said in the statement. 

Colombia has emerged as one of Latin America's most promising offshore wind markets following the publication of a long-term sector blueprint in 2022.

The 217-page roadmap, authored by London-based firm Renewables Consulting Group in partnership with the World Bank and the UK government, says Colombia has the potential for 50GW of offshore wind capacity in the western Atlantic basin.

The document forecasts up to 1GW of installed marine wind capacity by 2030, 3GW by 2040 and 9GW by 2050.

Officials have told BNamericas that electricity generated from the projects could be injected into Colombia's power grid via submarine transmission lines or used to produce green hydrogen, both for domestic use and exports.