Ecopetrol Group Announced New Solar Park in Meta, Colombia

February 20, 2020 | Renewables | Energy Facts Staff Writer | 4min

Ecopetrol Group announced the construction of a new solar park, which will be owned by Cenit, its hydrocarbon transportation and logistics subsidiary, and which will become the largest energy self-generation center ever developed in the country, after the Castilla Solar Park, which was inaugurated in October 2019.

With the construction of this new park, the installed photovoltaic power capacity of the Ecopetrol Group will exceed 70 megawatts (MWp) in less than two years.

The new park will be located in the municipality of Castilla La Nueva in the department of Meta. Its construction will begin in the middle of this year and is estimated to be operational in December.

The park will have an installed capacity of 50 megawatts (MWp), which is more than double the capacity of the Castilla Solar Park, and will be able to energize a city of 65,000 inhabitants.

This project will serve to supply part of the energy demand of the San Fernando and Apiay pumping stations, as well as the oil fields of Castilla, Chichimene and Apiay, located in the Eastern Plains.

The park will be located in an area of ​​46 hectares, equivalent to 40 professional soccer fields, where more than 100 thousand panels of the highest technology will be located.

Its entry into operation will prevent the emission of more than 410 thousand tons of CO2 (carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere during the next 15 years, a figure equivalent to the planting of 3.2 million trees.

“This is a new example of our commitment to the energy transition and the direction of the Company of all Colombians towards renewable energy and the mitigation of the effects of climate change,” said Felipe Bayón, president of Ecopetrol.

For his part, Héctor Manosalva, president of Cenit, said that “this initiative will allow us to advance along the path of energy efficiency of the transport segment of the Ecopetrol Group, taking advantage of the great potential offered by solar energy in regions such as the Eastern Plains.”