WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version

2.3.5 Colombia
Elena Quiroga Fernández, International Center on
Small Hydro Power
Key Facts
Population 45,239,079 1
Area 1,138,910 km 2
Climate Tropical along coast and eastern
plains; cooler in highlands 1
Topography
Rain pattern
Flat coastal lowlands, central
highlands, high Andes Mountains
(highest point: Pico Cristóbal Colón,
5,775 m), eastern lowland plains 1
Average annual precipitation over land
is 500mm, but varies greatly from year
to year and from place to place. On
average, it rains mostly in the regions
of El Choco due to the concentrated
air humidity originated in the Pacific
ocean accumulating at the Cordillera
Occidental and producing 3,000 to
12,000 mm per annum 2
Electricity sector overview
Colombia’s electricity and energy sector is under the
jurisdiction of the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
Currently Colombia has a total installed capacity of
14,424 MW. 3
The Colombian energy industry comprises both public
and private players. Private sector involvement was
opened up through deregulation in 1990. La Comisión
de Regulación de Energía y Gas de Colombia (CREG) is
one of the main participants with regulatory oversight
within the sector. 4 The Colombian National
Transmission System (STN), a monopoly by nature, is
the middle man between the generators and the
traders and is regulated by CREG. 5 Eleven companies
are involved in transmission from which, the
Government runs the company, Interconexión
Eléctrica S.A. E.S.P. (ISA), and controls 83 per cent of
the market. 5
The supply of Colombian electricity is based on the
National Interconnected System (SIN) which is one
third of the territory and covers 96 per cent of the
population. Other local systems in the noninterconnected
areas (ZNI) provide the remaining four
per cent of the population mainly residing in the east
of the country. 4
In 2010, Colombia saw its highest growth for
renewable generation at 14 per cent totaling to 2,543
GWh. 6
In 2011, Colombia imported 8 GWh and exported
1,294 GWh. 3 In 2010, 72.8 per cent (57,300 GWh) of
Colombia’s electricity is produced by renewable
energy sources, whereas its renewable electricity
capacity corresponds to 67.1 per cent (9.1 GW) (figure
1). 8 Colombia has wide non-interconnected areas (52
per cent of its territory), and although these areas
have a high renewable energy potential, there is a
more intense fossil fuel based electricity expansion
rather than an adequate renewable strategy. 9
Wind
Other fossils and
Small hydropower
Oil & diesel
Coal
Gas
Large hydropower
0.1%
1%
4%
7%
7%
17%
0% 20% 40% 60%
Figure 1 Electricity generation in Colombia
Source: XM S.A. E.S.P. 7
64%
Small hydropower sector overview and potential
The definition of small hydropower in Colombia seems
to be ambiguous and inconsistent in many documents
(see section on Legislation on small hydropower). In
2010, the total estimated small hydropower potential
was 25,000 MW. 7 9
According to the legal framework, small hydropower is
only considered as renewable energy if it is under 10
MW. 9 In 2012, the small hydropower installed capacity
was 171.52 MW (up to 10 MW) and the author’s
calculations indicate that the installed capacity for
plants 10-20 MW was 512 MW, however 591 MW
(according to the countries small hydropower
definition of up to 20 MW) is reported (figure 2). 7
Small hydropower provided five per cent of the total
electricity generation in 2010. 6
SHP installed capacity (up to 10 MW)
SHP potential (up to 10 MW)
SHP installed capacity (up to 20 MW)
SHP potential (up to 20 MW)
171.52 MW
171.52 MW
762.52 MW
25,000 MW
0 10000 20000 30000
Figure 2 Small hydropower capacities in Colombia
Sources: International American Development Bank
and the Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy 9 , XM
S.A. E.S.P. 7
Small hydropower is seen in Colombia as an attractive
potential electricity generation technology due to the
low construction investment required and its
adequacy to supply off-grid rural areas with electricity.
The Colombian Government is currently working on
small hydropower implementation projects in
currently off-grid areas. 9
Between 2006 and 2011, Colombia experienced clean
energy investments totalling to US$1.06 billion, with
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