Great wind energy potential in Colombia

The latter was stated in a report by the World Bank, which specifies that Colombia’s wind system is one of the best of the whole South American sub-continent. The only region whose winds have comparable speed and stability are in Patagonia, the area furthest south of Argentina.

Even if it is so rich, Colombia presently only has one 19,5 MW wind farm, built with funds from the World Bank and inaugurated in 2003 in Jepirachi (La Guajira). An additional 200 MW wind farm project is in the pipeline, to be built in Ipapure, also in La Guajira.

Nevertheless, according to the report by the World Bank, harnessing wind power is still difficult in Colombia. In fact, considering the country’s present situation in the field of energy and infrastructures, it’s not an economical option. But this scenario could change in the near future, mostly to meet specific local needs, since more wind is available precisely when the electricity demand reaches its peak.

The World Bank concludes that, in order for wind turbines to become a competitive option, it is absolutely necessary for Colombian policies to be more supportive, specially by strengthening wind power data collection as a public service, promoting technological development and, above all, improving grid access to wind power.

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