Grupo Ecopetrol awarded contract for the construction of a new mega solar park in Meta
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Grupo Ecopetrol awarded contract for the construction of a new mega solar park in Meta
Aug 18, 2020
- It will have an installed capacity of 59 MW and its construction will begin in October 2020.
- AES Colombia, an international company with vast experience in renewable energy projects, will be in charge of its construction.
- With this new park, the Ecopetrol Group’s installed photovoltaic power generation capacity reaches 80 megawatts (MWp), achieved in less than two years.
- Latest generation high-power solar panels will be installed, complete with bifacial technology allowing energy generation on both sides, and a solar tracking system that moves the panels according to the sun’s orientation.
- The labor force participation of women in the project will be close to 38%.
The Ecopetrol Group, through its subsidiary Cenit Transporte y Logística de Hidrocarburos, awarded AES Colombia the contract to carry out the construction work of the San Fernando Solar Park in the municipality of Castilla La Nueva in the department of Meta, which will be the largest self-generation park in Colombia, and one of the most modern and innovative in the region.
The project will be developed under a 15-year power purchase agreement with AES Colombia, which includes operation and maintenance services. Its objective is to self-generate part of the energy demand of Ecopetrol’s and Cenit’s operations in the eastern plains region, known as the Llanos Orientales.
This new park will be the second built by the Ecopetrol Group in Meta and will have an installed capacity of 59 megawatts (MWp), which is equivalent to the power necessary to meet the energy demand of a town of 65,000 inhabitants.
Its construction will begin in October 2020 and, according to the project’s timeline, is expected to be fully operational by the first half of 2021. At least 38% of the labor force hired for the project’s development is foreseen to be women. Additionally, the contracting of over $ 15 billion in local goods and services is anticipated, providing a boost to the local economy.
The San Fernando Park will occupy an area of 47 hectares, equivalent to 90 professional soccer fields, and include more than 113 thousand latest generation solar panels. These modular panels will have the ability to move according to the orientation of the sun and incorporate bifacial technology, allowing them to capture energy on both sides, thus ensuring greater performance and efficiency.
Its entry into operation will prevent the emission of more than 508 thousand tons of CO2 (carbon dioxide) equivalent into the atmosphere during the next 15 years, a figure equivalent to the planting of over 3.9 million trees.
“This park will achieve standards comparable to the most modern projects in Latin America, allowing us to take advantage of the abundant solar resource found in the Llanos Orientales and reach greater energy efficiency in our operations, furthering our commitment to reduce our carbon footprint,” expressed Héctor Manosalva, President of Cenit Transporte y Logística de Hidrocarburos.
With San Fernando, the Group’s installed photovoltaic power capacity will reach 80 megawatts (MWp), achieved in less than two years, following the inauguration of the 21 MWp Castilla Solar Park in October of 2019.
The Ecopetrol Group estimates it will attain 170 MWp from solar energy generation before the end of 2022 with the construction of at least four additional solar parks in the departments of Meta, Santander, Huila and Antioquia.
“We are certain that coexistence between all forms of energy generation is possible, and therefore the construction of our second solar park is one step further in our commitment towards energy transition and reaching an installed capacity in renewable energies of around 300 MW by 2022,” said Felipe Bayón, President of Ecopetrol.
For his part, the Minister of Mines and Energy, Diego Mesa, stated that “Colombia continues to make steady progress in energy transition and the incorporation of renewable solar and wind energies. Projects such as Ecopetrol's new self-generation park, the largest in the country, demonstrate that this policy of the National Government has been enticing, insofar as projects of this nature will allow us to continue expanding the installed capacity from such sources. This year, more than 10 solar farms with 300 megawatts will begin operations, independent of the bidding processes, thus doubling the installed capacity we have achieved over the past two years.”
In addition to solar parks, the Ecopetrol Group is studying the viability of wind generation projects, small hydroelectric plants, geothermal energy, as well as alternative uses of hydrogen in the various areas of the country where it operates.
AES Colombia, a subsidiary of AES GENER, was selected to develop the project after a competitive and transparent bidding process carried out by Ecopetrol. This company has vast experience in the development of alternative energy projects in Chile, Colombia and Argentina.
