Colombian power generator Emgesa S.A. E.S.P., an Enel Group company, has begun operating the country’s first battery energy storage system in central Cundinamarca department, Bnamericas.com reports.
The announcement follows a 20-month construction period and investments of US$5.7mn, according to a statement from Emgesa’s parent firm Enel Spa, Rome, Italy.
“The support of the authorities and the national government … was crucial for the project, which will make the electricity grid more reliable,” Enel Colombia head Lucio Rubio said.
The facility is located in Termozipa, around 35km north of capital Bogotá, and will have a useful life of 15 years, the Rome-based firm added.
In January, the government launched a bidding process for Colombia’s first grid-scale energy storage project as part of broader efforts to reinforce electricity supply on the Caribbean coast.
Slated for the Barranquilla metropolitan area, the 50MW system will include an associated 110/34.5kV substation plus associated transmission and distribution lines.