Renewable energy in Colombia
Encyclopedia
Colombia
has 28.1 Megawatt installed capacity of renewable energy
(excluding large hydropower
), consisting mainly of wind power
. The country has significant small hydro
, wind, and solar resources that remain largely unexploited. According to a study by the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program
(ESMAP), exploitation of the country’s significant wind potential alone could cover more than the country’s current total energy needs.
classification is the Patagonia region of Chile and Argentina.
Colombia has an estimated theoretical wind power potential of 21 GW just in the Guajira Department—enough to generate sufficient power to meet the national demand almost twice over. However, the country only has an installed capacity of 19.5 MW of wind energy, tapping only 0.4% of its theoretical wind potential. This capacity is concentrated in a single project, the Jepírachi Wind Project, developed by Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) under a Carbon Finance
mechanism arranged by the World Bank
.. There are several projects under consideration, including a 200 MW project in Ipapure.
See also: Wind and Wind Energy Atlas of Colombia 2006 (in Spanish) at UPME, then click on "Publicaciones, then on "Recientes". Accessed on September 8, 2007.
resources because of its location in the equatorial zone, but the country sits in a complex region of the Andes where climatic conditions vary. The daily average radiation is 4.5 kWh/m2, and the area with the best solar resource is the Guajira Peninsula
, with 6 kWh/m2 of radiation. Of the 6 MW of solar power installed in Colombia (equivalent to about 78,000 average-size solar panels), 57 percent is distributed in rural applications and 43 percent in communication towers and road signaling. Solar systems can be very suitable for applications in rural areas, where energy demands are dispersed and modest and grid connection is often more costly (UPME 2005).
potential:
The potential of the main sources of geothermal power in Colombia is summarized below:
The region of Urabá in the north of the Department of Antioquia has approximately 19,000 hectares of banana plantations, producing more than 1 million tons annually. It has also been estimated that approximately 85,000 TOE/yr could be produced from the 190 million m3/yr of biogas generated from coffee plantations, equivalent to 995,000 MWh.
In addition, the landfills in the four main cities in Colombia (Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, and Barranquilla) are estimated to have the potential to provide for an installed capacity of 47 MW (0.3% of current installed capacity).
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
has 28.1 Megawatt installed capacity of renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
(excluding large hydropower
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
), consisting mainly of wind power
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
. The country has significant small hydro
Small hydro
Small hydro is the development of hydroelectric power on a scale serving a small community or industrial plant. The definition of a small hydro project varies but a generating capacity of up to 10 megawatts is generally accepted as the upper limit of what can be termed small hydro. This may be...
, wind, and solar resources that remain largely unexploited. According to a study by the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program
Energy Sector Management Assistance Program
The Energy Sector Management Assistance Program is a global, multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank and co-sponsored by 13 official bilateral donors...
(ESMAP), exploitation of the country’s significant wind potential alone could cover more than the country’s current total energy needs.
Investment costs
Investment costs for renewable energy technologies in Colombia were estimated in 2005 as follows:| Energy source | Technology | Cost (US$/kW) |
|---|---|---|
| Large hydro | Reservoir (dam) | 700-1,700 |
| Solar PV | Photovoltaic solar systems | 5,000-10,000 |
| Wind (on shore) | Electricity generation | 800-1,200 (large scale) |
| up to 3,000 (small scale) | ||
| Pump | 1,500-4,000 | |
| Geothermal | Electricity generation | 3,000-5,000 (small scale) |
| 1,500-2,500 (large scale) | ||
| Biomass | Direct combustion | 2,800-5,000 |
Hydropower
With 70 percent of the country’s power generation, hydropower is a very important national energy source. The total large hydropower potential for Colombia is estimated at 93GW, with an additional 25GW of small hydropower (<20MW)Wind
The wind regime in Colombia is among the best in South America. Offshore regions of the northern part of Colombia, such as in the Guajira Department, have been classified with class 7 winds (over 10 meters per second (m/s)). The only other region in Latin America with such high wind powerWind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
classification is the Patagonia region of Chile and Argentina.
Colombia has an estimated theoretical wind power potential of 21 GW just in the Guajira Department—enough to generate sufficient power to meet the national demand almost twice over. However, the country only has an installed capacity of 19.5 MW of wind energy, tapping only 0.4% of its theoretical wind potential. This capacity is concentrated in a single project, the Jepírachi Wind Project, developed by Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) under a Carbon Finance
Carbon finance
Carbon finance is a new branch of Environmental finance. Carbon finance explores the financial implications of living in a carbon-constrained world, a world in which emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases carry a price....
mechanism arranged by the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
.. There are several projects under consideration, including a 200 MW project in Ipapure.
See also: Wind and Wind Energy Atlas of Colombia 2006 (in Spanish) at UPME, then click on "Publicaciones, then on "Recientes". Accessed on September 8, 2007.
Solar
Colombia has significant solar powerSolar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
resources because of its location in the equatorial zone, but the country sits in a complex region of the Andes where climatic conditions vary. The daily average radiation is 4.5 kWh/m2, and the area with the best solar resource is the Guajira Peninsula
Guajira Peninsula
Guajira Peninsula , is a peninsula in northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea...
, with 6 kWh/m2 of radiation. Of the 6 MW of solar power installed in Colombia (equivalent to about 78,000 average-size solar panels), 57 percent is distributed in rural applications and 43 percent in communication towers and road signaling. Solar systems can be very suitable for applications in rural areas, where energy demands are dispersed and modest and grid connection is often more costly (UPME 2005).
Geothermal
The former Colombian Institute of Electrical Energy, today IPSE, and the Latin American Energy Organization have identified three areas with geothermal powerGeothermal power
Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth. Thermal energy is the energy that determines the temperature of matter. Earth's geothermal energy originates from the original formation of the planet and from radioactive decay of minerals...
potential:
- Azufral, in Nariño DepartmentNariño DepartmentNariño is a department of Colombia named after Antonio Nariño. It is in the west of the country, bordering Ecuador and the Pacific Ocean.Its capital is Pasto, other important cities include Tumaco, Ipiales.-Municipalities:# Albán# Aldana# Ancuya...
, where the AzufralAzufralAzufral is a volcano located in the department of Nariño in southern Colombia, west of the town of Túquerres. Its name derives from the Spanish word for sulfur, azufre. The volcano is considered semi-dormant but there are numerous fumaroles in the summit crater...
Volcano is located; - Cerro Negro-Tufiño, also in Nariño DepartmentNariño DepartmentNariño is a department of Colombia named after Antonio Nariño. It is in the west of the country, bordering Ecuador and the Pacific Ocean.Its capital is Pasto, other important cities include Tumaco, Ipiales.-Municipalities:# Albán# Aldana# Ancuya...
, near the Chiles Volcano; and - PaipaPaipaPaipa is a town and municipality in the Colombian Department of Boyacá, part of the Tundama Province a subregion of Boyaca.- Location :Paipa is located to 15 km of Duitama...
, located in the Cordillera Oriental in Boyacá DepartmentBoyacá DepartmentBoyacá is one of the 32 Departments of Colombia, and the remnant of one of the original nine states of the "United States of Colombia".Boyacá is centrally located within Colombia, almost entirely within the mountains of the Eastern Cordillera to the border with Venezuela, although the western end...
.
The potential of the main sources of geothermal power in Colombia is summarized below:
| Area | Department | Potential |
|---|---|---|
| Chiles-Cerro Negro | Nariño | High |
| Azafral de Túqueres | Nariño | Unknown |
| Doña Juana | Nariño | Unknown |
| Grupo Sotará | Cauca | Unknown |
| Puracé | Cauca | Unknown |
| Machía | Huila | High |
| Cerro Bravo | Nariño | High |
| Nevado del Ruiz-Santa Isabel | Caldas | High |
| Cerro España | Caldas | High |
| Machía | Huilah | High |
Biomass
Colombia has a great biomass power potential from agricultural residues (banana, coffee pulp, and animal waste). Its annual biomass power potential is estimated to be over 16 GWh, which is still less than 0.1% of current electricity production. The potential is distributed as follows:- 11,828 MWh/yr from agriculture residues
- 2,640 MWh/yr from bioethanol
- 698 MWh/yr from natural forest residues
- 658 MWh/yr from biodiesel
- 442 MWh/yr from planted forest residues
The region of Urabá in the north of the Department of Antioquia has approximately 19,000 hectares of banana plantations, producing more than 1 million tons annually. It has also been estimated that approximately 85,000 TOE/yr could be produced from the 190 million m3/yr of biogas generated from coffee plantations, equivalent to 995,000 MWh.
In addition, the landfills in the four main cities in Colombia (Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, and Barranquilla) are estimated to have the potential to provide for an installed capacity of 47 MW (0.3% of current installed capacity).