Electricity sector in Colombia

Electricity and the environment

Responsibility for the environment

The Ministry of the Environment, Housing and Territorial Development holds the Environmental responsibilities in Colombia and leads the country’s commitment towards sustainable development. Within the Ministry, the Climate Change Mitigation Group addresses all the issues related with climate change. [ [http://www.minambiente.gov.co/ministerio/funciones.htm Ministry of the Environment, Housing and Territorial Development] ]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Because of Colombia’s abundant hydroelectric potential, greenhouse gas emissions are very low per capita (1.3 tCO2e) and per unit of GDP (0.2 tCO2e). ESMAP 2007]

[http://www.olade.org OLADE] (Organización Latinoamericana de Energía) estimated that CO2 emissions from electricity production in 2003 were 6.5 million tons of CO2 [ [http://www.olade.org/informe.html OLADE] ] . Currently 30 percent of CO2 emissions in Colombia come from the power sector, but these could increase if thermal generation gains a larger part of the energy mix. ESMAP 2007]

Clean Development Mechanism projects in electricity

Currently (August 2007), there are three registered CDM projects in the electricity sector in Colombia, with overall estimated emission reductions of 107,465 tCO2e per year. [http://cdm.unfccc.int/Projects/projsearch.html UNFCCC] ]

The [http://cdm.unfccc.int/Projects/DB/SGS-UKL1135244574.04/view.html Jepírachi project] , in the Uribia region, is Colombia’s First and Only Wind Farm. This 19.5 MW project is expected to displace an estimated 430,000 tCO2 until 2019. The Jepírachi project is now in its fourth year of operation. It generated about 144 GWh and displaced about 48,500 tCO2e from February 2004 to August 2006. ESMAP 2007]

The other two registered projects are the [http://cdm.unfccc.int/Projects/DB/TUEV-SUED1140544492.1/view.html Santa Ana Hydroelectric Plant] , in the Bogotá’s suburb Usaquén,with estimated emission reductions of 20,642 tCO2e per year; and the [http://cdm.unfccc.int/Projects/DB/DNV-CUK1161865279.03/view.html La Vuelta and La Herradura Hydroelectric Project] , in the Antioquia Department, with estimated emission reductions of 69,795 tCO2e per year. [http://cdm.unfccc.int/Projects/projsearch.html UNFCCC] ]

External assistance

Inter-American Development Bank

The Inter-American Development Bank has currently one energy project under implementation in Colombia, the [http://www.iadb.org/projects/Project.cfm?project=CO-L1005&Language=English Porce III Hydroelectric Power Plant] , owned by Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EEPPM) and approved in October 2005. This is a US$900 million project, of which the IDB is contributing US$200 million.

In addition, the IDB is supporting the [http://www.iadb.org/projects/Project.cfm?project=RS-T1241&Language=English Colombia-Panama electric interconnection project] through US$1.5 million financing for the feasibility studies phase.

Sources

ESMAP, 2007. "Review of Policy Framework for Increased Reliance on Renewable Energy in Colombia. " In press

Ministry of Mines and Energy & UPME, 2006. "Plan de Expansión de Referencia: Generación, Transmisión. 2006-2020. "

World Bank, 2004. [http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2004/11/12/000012009_20041112100631/Rendered/PDF/303790CO.pdf "Colombia: Recent Economic Developments in Infrastructure (REDI). Balancing Social and Productive Needs for Infrastructure"] . Volume II: Main Report.

Notes

See also

* Colombia
* Economy of Colombia
* Water supply and sanitation in Colombia

External links

* [http://www.minminas.gov.co/minminas/pagesweb.nsf?opendatabase Ministry of Mines and Energy]
* [http://www.minambiente.gov.co/ Ministry of Environment, Housing and Territorial Development]
* [http://www.upme.gov.co/Index3.htm Energy and Mining Planning Unit UPME]
* [http://www.creg.gov.co/ Electricity Regulator CREG]
* [http://www.eeppm.com/epmcom/contenido/acercade/acerca.htm Empresas Públicas de Medellín]
* [http://www.esmap.org/about/index.asp Energy Sector Management Assistance Program ESMAP of the World Bank]
* [http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=217672&piPK=95916&theSitePK=40941&menuPK=223661&category=regcountries&regioncode=7&countrycode=CO World Bank projects in Colombia]
* [http://www.iadb.org/projects/advanced_search.cfm?language=English IDB projects in Colombia]