Total Eren to Construct 100 Mwp Solar Farm in Columbia

Columbia’s largest energy firm Ecopetrol, and French renewable energy Independent Power Producer Total Eren have announced that they have partnering to implement the ‘Rubiales’ solar photovoltaic (PV) park that will have a capacity of 100 MWp in Columbia.

The official statement held that the solar PV park will be built on the site of the Rubiales field which is a property of Ecopetrol and one of the most important fields in the hydrocarbon industry in Colombia.  Its located in the municipality of Puerto Gaitan in the Meta Province of the country.

Ecopetrol said that it has selected Total Eren to develop, finance, build and operate the 100 MWp solar park after a closed competitive process. The solar project will be owned by both Total Eren (51%) and Ecopetrol (49%).

The construction work by Total Eren is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2023, and the solar park is expected to begin operations in the first quarter of 2024.

The solar project is part of the decarbonization strategy of the Ecopetrol Group as 24000 tons of CO₂ emissions it will save more than 24,000 tons of CO₂ emissions per year. Total Eren will employ 180,000 monocrystalline bifacial panels, which is enough to supply a Colombian City of 150,000 people during a whole day. Ecopetrol will be the end-user of the produced electricity for its operation, through a 17-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

“We are pleased to partner with Total Eren, a company with extensive experience in the solar industry, to help us move forward with our commitment to accelerate the energy transition. Our goal is to incorporate 900 MW1 by 2025 with renewable energies that help us face climate change,” said Felipe Bayón Pardo, President, Ecopetrol Group.

David Corchia, CEO, Total Eren, stated, “I am confident that our ambitious partnership will be fruitful and provide multiple environmental, economic, and social benefits locally.”

Ecopetrol is the largest company in Colombia which is responsible for more than 60% of the hydrocarbon production of most transportation, logistics, and hydrocarbon refining systems. The company wants to achieve net zero by 2050.

Total Eren develops finances, builds and operates renewable energy power plants in solar, wind, hydropower, representing a gross capacity of more than 3,700 MW in operation or under construction worldwide.