Renewable energy in Colombia

This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (March 2019)

Renewable Energy in Colombia is rapidly emerging as a pioneer in the clean energy transition, showcasing a remarkable commitment to climate action despite its status as a fossil fuel-producing nation. With a robust National Energy Plan extending to 2050, the country has set ambitious targets for diversifying its energy mix by incorporating wind, solar, and geothermal resources. The nation's resolve was further solidified at COP26 with the announcement of a net zero target and a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) aiming for a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Significant investments in renewable energy infrastructure, particularly through long-term auctions for large-scale solar and wind projects, are transforming Colombia's energy landscape.^[1]

Total renewable energy capacity 2014–2023 (MW)^[2]: 5

2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
11,134	11,757	11,888	12,071	12,194	12,291	12,384	12,500	13,405	14,258

Colombia, as of 2019, has 28.1 Megawatt installed capacity of renewable energy (excluding large hydropower), consisting mainly of wind power, which supplies 1% of the country's needs.^[3] The country has significant wind and solar resources that remain largely unexploited. According to a study by the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), exploiting the country’s significant wind potential alone could cover more than the country’s current total energy needs.^[4] With abundant natural resources, including vast untapped wind and solar potential, Colombia is poised to become a leader in renewable energy, setting an inspiring example for other nations in the transition towards a sustainable and diversified energy future.^[1]

Investment costs for renewable energy technologies in Colombia were estimated in 2005 as follows:^[4]

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

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)

Hydropower capacity 2014–2023 (MW)^[5]: 8

2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
10,900	11,501	11,611	11,731	11,842	11,926	11,954	11,949	12,553	13,211

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 power classification is the Patagonia region of Chile and Argentina.^[4]

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.^[6] There are several projects under consideration, including a 200 MW project in Ipapure.^[4][7]

Wind energy capacity 2014–2023 (MW)^[5]: 16

2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
18	18	18	18	18	18	18	18	18	18

In the first renewable energy auction for the country, over 1 GW of wind power was awarded in 2019 for a 15-year power purchase agreement from 2022.^[3]

Colombia has significant solar power 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).^[4]

Solar energy capacity 2014–2023 (MW)^[5]: 24

2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
1	1	2	11	13	26	83	181	480	676

The former Colombian Institute of Electrical Energy, today IPSE, and the Latin American Energy Organization have identified three areas with geothermal power potential:

• Azufral, in Nariño Department, where the Azufral Volcano is located;
• Cerro Negro-Tufiño, also in Nariño Department, near the Chiles Volcano; and
• Paipa, located in the Cordillera Oriental in Boyacá Department.^[4]

The potential of the main sources of geothermal power in Colombia is summarized below:^[4]

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

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.^[4]

Bioenergy capacity 2014–2023 (MW)^[5]: 32

2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
215	237	257	310	320	320	329	351	353	353

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).^[4]

• Biotec International