Celsia to build 80 MW solar project in Colombia

Colombia’s renewable energy company Celsia will buid an 80 MW PV plant in Los Santos, in the department of Santander, which located in the central northern part of the country.

According to a press release from the local government, the solar plant will occupy a surface of 500 hectares and will require an investment of around $65 million. The company will start construction of the PV power plant in March 2018, with completion scheduled for the end of next year.

According to a document from Colombia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, the plant, named Celsia Solar Chicamocha, will consist of four 19.9 MW (DC) sections and a 21.1 MW (DC) section. The project will also include the construction of a 115 kV substation, which will connect the facility with the local grid.

If built, the plant will be Colombia’s largest solar park. Currently there is only a 9.9 MW solar plant operational in the country, which was recently commissioned by Celsia. The Celsia Solar Yumbo project is located in the municipality of Yumbo, in Colombia’s southwestern region of Valle del Cauca.

The solar park is located on a surface that was previously occupied by the Termoyumbo coal generating plant, which closed down more than 20 years ago.

Celsia is planning to deploy 250 MW of PV capacity in Colombia and Central America. Further projects are planned in Valle del Cauca, and in Bolívar and Santander provinces, as well as Panama.