Renewable

January 5 (Renewables Now) - Colombian regional power distributor Air-e said on Tuesday that 22 domestic and international companies had reached the pre-qualification stage in its privately organised renewable energy auction.

Companies from Sweden, France, Spain, Norway, China, Mexico and Portugal, joined by their Colombian peers, submitted proposals to sell power from 39 wind and solar projects totalling over 2,500 MW, Air-e said.

The power company indicated earlier it would procure some 850 GWh per year through this auction, which amounts to about 10% of the annual demand by its customers in the departments of Atlantico, La Guajira and Magdalena. It expected that approximately 300 MW of wind and solar capacity would be enough to cover it.

The winners in the auction will be awarded 15 to 20-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) on a take-or-pay basis.

Some deadlines in the auction schedule have been changed. Air-e now expects to receive offers by January 1, and the deadline to sign the contracts is set for March 31.