Colombia to launch offshore wind energy tender

The first round of contracts to install wind turbines in offshore wind farms is due to be awarded in the second half of 2023. Colombia will hold a competitive bidding process for offshore wind contracts within 18 months as it seeks to harness up to 50 GW of potential in its northern region. coast, the government said Friday.

The announcement coincides with the publication of new regulations that establish bidding and licensing procedures for project developers.

According to the guidelines, Colombia’s maritime authority DIMAR will be responsible for evaluating offers and issuing licenses for the temporary occupation of areas in the Caribbean Sea.

“In the second half of 2023, the first round of the competitive process will be completed,” the Ministry of Mines and Energy said in a statement. “The permits assigned in this first round will allow investors to determine the feasibility of the projects and advance their [environmental] permits.”

The auction will offer developers the opportunity to bid on selected areas off the Caribbean coastal departments of Bolívar and Atlántico, the ministry said, without providing further details.

He said his next step would be to appoint an administrator for the bidding process.

Meanwhile, technical specifications for the projects are expected to be published by year-end.

Colombia has become one of the fastest growing offshore wind markets in Latin America after the publication of a long-term sector plan in May.

The 217-page roadmap, written by the London-based firm Renewables Consulting Group (RCG) in association with the World Bank and the British government, says that Colombia has the potential for 50 GW of offshore wind capacity in the western Atlantic basin.

The document forecasts up to 1 GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030, 3 GW by 2040 and 9 GW by 2050.

According to BNamericas research, the energy ministry’s planning unit UPME received proposals for offshore wind projects totaling 3,500MW of capacity in May and June.