Enel Colombia advances US$400mn solar projects

Enel Colombia has begun construction work on two solar parks totaling 400MW of capacity as the company ratchets up renewable energy expansion plans. 

The Guayepo III and Atlántico projects, each of which will boast 200MW, are located in the Caribbean coastal department of Atlántico and will require combined investment of 1.7tn pesos (around US$400mn), according to an Enel Colombia statement. 

“This milestone not only materializes Enel Colombia’s interest in promoting investment in non-conventional renewable energy plants in the country, but also ... place [Atlántico] department as the most important solar hub in the country," Enel Colombia general manager Antonio Crisol said. 

Earlier this month Enel announced the start of operations of its Guayepo I and II solar parks, also in Atlántico, which have combined capacity of 370MW. 

The company said the Guayepo III and Atlántico projects would incorporate bifacial solar panels that can automatically rotate with the movement of the sun, improving efficiency. 

The projects will include substations with 220MVA transformers that allow energy generated from solar modules to be raised from medium to high voltage.

BNamericas reported in July that there were 202 solar projects totaling 8.8GW in the registry of energy ministry planning unit UPME. 

The mines and energy ministry has a plan to reach 6GW of non-conventional renewable energy (NCRE) capacity by 2026.

Although it has not provided specific forecasts for each renewable technology, BNamericas believes the vast majority of new NCRE capacity in the near-to-medium term will be solar given the delays facing wind developers, particularly in La Guajira department.