Colombia

According to the Mining and Energy Planning Unit (UPME), there are currently 385 projects totaling 15 GW at different stages of development, including 4 biomass, 17 wind, 93 hydro, 271 photovoltaic and 7 thermal.

The procedures to secure income tax deductions, value-added tax exclusions, customs duty exemptions, and accelerated depreciation rates for renewable projects has been shortened to 45 days.

The technology makes up almost 70% of planned clean energy generation capacity in a nation which added just 4 MW of solar last year.

The Colombian government has revealed more details of the renewable energy procurement exercise finalized on Monday. Chinese manufacturer Trina was the bidder behind all three successful solar projects in the auction.

Three solar projects and five wind facilities were contracted in the procurement exercise. The auction’s final average electricity price was COP95/kWh, with a maximum bid of COP110.

The obligation will be applied annually from 2022. The clean electricity required will have to be bought through power purchase contracts of at least 10 years’ duration.

Canadian Solar, Acciona, Enel, EDF, Solarpack and Trina are among the contenders to develop large scale renewables projects. Some 26 power distributors are participating in the procurement as buyers.

pv magazine publisher Eckhart Gouras spoke to Carolina Obando, regulatory coordinator at renewable energy association SER Colombia, to discuss the country’s first renewable energy auction. The delayed tender promises to boost a solar industry with a 4.3 GW pipeline.

Already postponed from June to September 30, the procurement will now be held by the end of October. The exercise will be open to new renewables projects with more than 5 MW of generation capacity. Selected developers will be awarded 15-year energy deals rather than the 12-year arrangements offered in February’s abortive attempt.

In the first five months of the year, 16 solar projects with generation capacities larger than 99 MW were approved by the Colombian authorities. One of the projects may reach a 700 MW capacity, another has 240 MW and five more can generate up to 200 MW as around 3.55 GW of PV capacity has been added to the national pipeline.