Spanish renewables developer Enerfín has reached commercial operations at its 128MWp solar PV plant in Colombia.
This project also marks the first solar PV plant of more than 20MW capacity to reach commercial operation in the country. The plant is located in the central department of Caldas, west of Colombia’s capital, Bogotá.
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The ‘Portón del Sol’ project was built by engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) Elecnor, and built in the span of a year and four months.
The company recently changed hands as Norwegian energy company Statkraft acquired it in November 2023 for an estimated €1.8 billion (US$1.96 billion). The acquisition would increase Statkfraft’s presence and opportunities in the Spanish and Brazilian markets, where Enerfín has an established presence.
Moreover, with this project reaching commercial operations, it brings Colombia’s total installed capacity – all technologies included – to over 20GW, while the project has been connected to the National Transmission System.
Although Colombia’s main source of electricity generation comes from hydropower – with over 73% in 2022, according to energy thinktank Ember -, interest in solar PV has increased in the past years. Results for the country’s latest renewables auction awarded nearly all capacity (4.4GW) to solar PV projects.
The falling levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) for solar PV in Latin America created opportunities for solar developers across several markets in Central America and Colombia, as recently covered on PV Tech Premium. Among the Central American markets where interest in solar has risen is Guatemala, which has embraced both government tenders and private investment which could help create a market similar to Colombia.