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Colombia’s still-dormant solar scene is poised for a major boost under a new partnership, bringing together a European and a Latin American player. Cubico Sustainable Investments and Celsia this week unveiled plans to deploy a 400MW PV pipeline nation-wide, a significant push for a country where installed capacity sat in the double-digit-megawatt region last year. In a statement, the duo said the 400MW portfolio will be developed over the next two years. According to them, it will mark the Colombian debut for London-headquartered Cubico, which has now added a Bogotá office to existing bases in Europe, Oceania, the US, Brazil, Mexico and others. Contacted by PV Tech, Cubico said the 400MW pipeline comprises ground-mounted projects at various stages, with all “certain” to be ready-to-build soon. The plan is to deploy PV plants of “all sizes”, starting with an initial pipeline of five to 10 projects, the investor added. According to the firm, both Cubico and Celsia will be “partners at all levels” and wholly finance the 400MW portfolio by themselves, with equity funding set to reach “at least” US$100 million. Construction will be taken care of by an external EPC contractor, Cubico told this publication. For Cubico – which draws funds from Canadian pension groups OTPP and PSP to invest in global renewable plays – the Colombian move follows the completion of 350MWp Soles in Mexico, one of the top solar winners years ago of the country’s now-paralysed auction programme. Colombia plays PV catch-up as it vows to lead Latin American push The new partnership is the latest utility-scale PV proposition to see the light in Colombia this year, heralding a major solar boost for a country that was home to a 84MW market in 2018 where Brazil hosted 2.29GW and Mexico boasted 2.54GW. So far in 2019, the Andean state has marked the operational launch of its largest PV plant to date – Enel’s 86.2MW El Paso – and the proposal of even bulkier successors, including Diverxia’s 240MWp Atlántico Photovoltaic and a 100.5MW project in the country’s northeast. One of the two proponents of the new 400MW pipeline, Celsia styles itself as the developer of Colombia's first large-scale plants, twin 9.9MW arrays in Cali and Cartagena. A third 9.9MW PV project is understood to be under construction, followed by a further two developments. A PV Tech Power feature explored this year Colombia’s quest to kickstart renewable growth, a push meant to diversify a hydro-reliant, drought-vulnerable energy mix. As recently reported, current president Iván Duque is keen for the country to lead a Latin American clean energy push. The country stands now only days from its first ever large-scale renewable auction. Acciona, Canadian Solar, EDF, Enel Green Power and Trina Solar have all put projects forward for the delayed tender, which will match developers with buyers for 15-year contracts. Colombia is also thought to hold significant potential on the small-scale PV end. As Celsia explained to PV Tech earlier this year, the firm is amongst those with ambitions in the segment, with plans to deploy a 100MW small-scale portfolio of rooftop arrays and others.

it has mounted the very first solar modules at its 187MWdc La Loma plant in Colombia. Located in the Cesar region, the plant will feature greater than 400,000

according to the reports. The projects are the 270-MWp Las Palmeras in the Colombian division of Cesar, the 13-MWp Chicala in Atlantico and also the 13-MWp Bambu

set to procure large scale solar and wind power generation capacity, the Colombian government has moved to introduce an obligation for power distributors to

project was implemented by the firm's subsidiary AES Colombia, which installed over 114,000 bifacial photovoltaic panels each of 530 Wp at a website in the

of near USD 20 million (EUR 17.9 m) to finish the project, according to the Colombian ministry of mining as well as power. La Sierpe solar farm will certainly

Grenergy claimed it had authorized a long-term off-take agreement with Colombian power firm Celsia. The Spanish renewables developer claims it runs 72 MW of

while the staying power will certainly be fed directly right into the Colombian grid. With this brand-new addition, Celsia gets to 54.43 MW of PV generation

COP 85 billion from one more international companion. Latin American bank BanColombia added COP 199 billion in the direction of the loan. Solarpack will utilize

USD 11 million (EUR 9.9 m) in the project, relying on funding approved by Colombian commercial bank BanColombia SA (NYSE: CIB). Over 23,700 solar panels

for us". "Both Chile, where we have actually been benefiting many years, and Colombia, a market with a great renewable resource capacity where we just recently

firms wanting to source elements at the time of COVID-19. In a new statement, Colombia's Energy Ministry stated it really hopes the "extraordinary" procedure will

Zelestra has successfully connected a 108-MWp solar farm in La Gloria, Colombia to the grid, marking its second project in the country. The La Mata solar farm

has secured a COP-172-billion deal to refinance 85 MWp of solar projects in Colombia. The transaction with Banco de Bogota SA will benefit a portfolio of five

Colombia has announced that its 132.2-MW solar farm in Fundación, Colombia has begun feeding energy into the grid. This solar farm, worth around USD