Wind Energy – Colombia
Colombia’s first Offshore Wind Resolución has been signed and published.
The new regulation defines the competitive process for granting the temporary occupation permit over maritime areas destined for the development of offshore wind power generation projects.
In the second half of 2023, the first round of the competitive process will be awarded.
The permits that are assigned in this first round will allow the investors to determine the feasibility of the projects and advance their licensing.
Since the launch of the offshore wind energy roadmap and the draft of this resolution, more than 350 recommendations and comments have been received from various institutions, organizations and companies that have allowed the consolidation of the administrative act to enable the deployment of this source of energy. unconventional renewable.
The current resolution sets out clear rules for obtaining permits for maritime areas through a suitable, open, fair and competitive mechanism, which translates into a transparent contest in which all those interested in the capacity to do so will have the opportunity to participate.
“We do not stop at our objective of leaving the country with a diverse energy matrix and with an attractive regulatory framework for the development of renewable energy projects in the country. I have to thank the World Bank, the Danish Energy Agency, The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (SIC) and the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH), who supported the work of more of a year by MinEnergía and DIMAR to make this process a reality. Offshore wind energy is the future of Colombia, as we have a potential of 50 GW, which is more than three times the generation capacity that we currently have in the country,” stressed the Minister of Mines and Energy, Diego Mesa.
The permits assigned in this first round will allow investors to determine the viability of the projects and advance their licensing, in order to then continue with the maritime concession application process and start the construction of the first offshore wind farms in Colombia.
The next step will be the designation of the administrator of the process and then its execution.
The award of the first round will be implemented for twelve months from the publication of the specifications, that is, in the second half of 2023 the results will already be available.
