The Colombian Minister of Mines and Energy Maria Fernanda Suarez said her government has received bids from 27 domestic and international companies interested in developing renewable energy capacity in the South American country, responding to the nation's first tender for renewable energy projects, reported Reuters.
The ministry launched the tender in January 2019, offering 1,183,000 MWh of clean energy deployment annually but without specifying the capacity (see Colombia's RE Auction Launched). Now, according to the Reuters, the government had been aiming for 500 MW of installed capacity from non-conventional energy sources, but it is in receipt of bids totaling 1.5 GW.
Final bidding will take place on February 26, 2019, as announced previously, and companies will be selected to develop 22 different solar, wind and biomass projects. The minister would not name these companies, but sees this interest in the tender as a confirmation of the country having potential for renewables. Selected projects will need to come online by 2021.
Currently, renewable energy accounts for 50 MW of installed generation capacity or 2% of the total energy mix, which the government wants to scale up to 1.5 GW within 4 years. Hydropower is its mainstay for electricity generation as it covers some 70% of total electricity supply, followed by gas and liquid fuel contributing 20% and coal 8%.