EPM begins commercial operations in a photovoltaic power plant with a capacity of 83 MW

According to the company, construction of the project required an investment of COP397 billion ($96 million) and is the company’s first utility-scale solar project in the country.

The country aims to add 6 GW of renewable energy during Gustavo Petro’s presidency, which will last from 2022 to 2026, according to Colombia’s energy director, María Victoria Ramírez Martínez.

The government recently held a renewable energy auction that awarded 4.4 GW of solar capacity, with solar representing almost all of the capacity auctioned in February 2024. The 30 awarded projects are expected to become operational from December 1, 2027 to end of November 2028

The falling levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for solar PV in Latin America has created opportunities for solar developers in several markets in Central America and Colombia, as reported earlier this year Premium photovoltaic technology. Among the Central American markets where interest in solar energy has increased is Guatemala, which has embraced both government tenders and private investment, and this approach could help create a market similar to Colombia.

Photovoltaic activity in Colombia continues to grow, especially at the utility level, where the first photovoltaic project with a capacity of over 20 MW was launched earlier this year. Spanish renewable energy developer Enerfín began commercial commissioning of its 128 MWp power plant in the country in March, and like the Tepuy solar project, Enerfín’s 128 MWp project is located in the central department of Caldas.

Additionally, international solar developer Atlas Renewable Energy has acquired a 201 MW solar plant in Colombia from local solar company Rayo Energía. The project is expected to enter commercial operation by the end of 2025 and already has a power purchase agreement signed with an unnamed “leading Colombian company.” Atlas aims to reach 1 GW of contracted solar projects in Colombia.