Chorreritas will become the first hydropower facility to be operated by ENERGO-PRO Group on the American continent. "Colombia is an attractive market with interesting potential in hydro energy. It has the sixth largest potential in this field in the world, particularly for high-gradient power plants," Petr Milev, the CEO of ENERGO-PRO Group, said.
Generadora Chorreritas, a fully owned subsidiary of ENERGO-PRO Colombia, is the investor and developer. In the initial phase, the construction will be financed by its own resources, but later, according to Peter Milev, external financing may be considered.
ENERGO-PRO Group acquired the Chorreritas project from a local developer in autumn 2020 and had the opportunity to optimize it based on its experience. Modifications to the design and overall layout of the project will lead to cost optimization and faster construction.
"The size of the Chorreritas power plant project is ideal for ENERGO-PRO Group to gain experience with the energy market in Colombia," Petr Milev added.
Power plant on the Río San Andrés river
Both of the planned Francis turbines are expected to have an installed capacity of 10 MW, and the total electricity production at Chorreritas is expected to reach 120 GWh per year.
ENERGO-PRO is building a new hydropower plant on the Río San Andrés near the town of San Andrés de Cuerquia in the department of Antioquia. It will be a run-of-the-river hydropower plant without a reservoir. It will have a water gradient of 186 meters. The construction of the entire plant includes an intake structure, an inlet tunnel, the plant itself and the connection to the power transmission system. The Czech Energy Group is carrying out the construction in accordance with environmental and social standards to ensure that the entire project's impact on nature and the local community is as positive as possible. In this respect, ENERGO-PRO benefits, among other things, from the experience of the construction of the Alpaslan 2 hydropower plant in Turkey, which was implemented in accordance with the "IFC Environmental & Social Performance Standards".
Colombian trump cards
Colombia's promising hydropower potential is explained by its high rainfall and attractive topography, which makes it possible to build high-gradient power plants.
For ENERGO-PRO Group, the Colombian market represents an interesting opportunity to diversify its activities. "The Chorreritas project fits perfectly into our strategy for diversification of our hydropower portfolio in terms of both hydrology and macroeconomic and political risks," Petr Milev emphasizes.
The ENERGO-PRO Group entered the Colombian market in 2019 when it established its office there.
Energo-Pro Group owns and operates 38 hydropower plants in four countries - Bulgaria, Georgia, Turkey and the Czech Republic. In addition to hydropower, it is also involved in the sale of electricity to retail customers, with two and a half million clients using its distribution networks in Bulgaria and Georgia. The group also comprises the Litostroj Group, a manufacturer of turbines and machinery for the hydropower industry.
