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June 8, 2023. “We are opening another solar power plant in Valle del Cauca, in Buga, that produces 9.9 MW and benefits two magnificent companies, Solla and Alianza Team. The project uses trackers, technology that allows the photovoltaic modules to follow the sun during the day and makes the system more efficient in terms of power generation,” said Ricardo Sierra, Celsia CEO, during the plant’s opening celebration. He also revealed that 200 jobs were generated during its construction; most were locals, and 12% were women.
With Celsia Solar Buga I, the company has finished six plants in Valle del Cauca that add 59.1 MW of installed capacity (Yumbo, Carmelo, La Paila, Tuluá, Palmira III and Buga I). These large-scale projects join eight other Celsia solar plants in Tolima (6), Sucre (1) and Bolívar (1), for a total of 14 in Colombia. Altogether, they have an installed capacity of more than 200 MWp.
Allies
Mauricio Campillo, president of Grupo Solla, said that the company has been working for several years on issues related to sustainability, and one of them is renewability. This allowed for a reduction in particulate emissions to the atmosphere and dumping to water, but they lacked a very important component: alternative energy. He explained that they have small solar panels on the pig farms, but not a solar plant of this size: “We chose Celsia because we are used to carrying out our projects with the best in each area,” he said.
For his part, Rafael Ignacio Piedrahíta Montoya, Vice President of Operations of Alianza Team (the other company benefiting from the Celsia Solar Buga I’s photovoltaic generation), said that having non-conventional renewable energy serving 40% of the demand of the main plant they have in Colombia, where they generate 550 direct jobs, contributes to their commitment to be a carbon-neutral company by 2030. “With Celsia, we have common and fundamental commitments to the environment; we are making progress so that other Alliance Team plants have solar generation,” he added.
With this plant, in addition to lower production costs, companies receive the following environmental benefits based on the amount of energy each will receive:
- Solla:It will avoid the emission of 1,007 ton CO2/year, which is equivalent to planting 166,999 mature trees in one year.
- Alianza Team:It will avoid the emission of 606 ton CO2/year, which is equivalent to planting 512 mature trees in one year.
About the solar plant
Area: 22 hectares
- Location: Municipality of Buga, Valle del Cauca
- Number of modules: 630
- Investment: $55 billion
For the development of solar projects exceeding 8 MW, Celsia has an ally in Cubico Sustainable Investments, an international investment fund. This allows it to have the resources to execute these major solar initiatives in Colombia and continue contributing to the country’s energy transition.