Barranquilla, Colombia Advances Construction of 11.6 MW Solar Power Plant

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The city of Barranquilla, Colombia is advancing the construction of the APBAQ I photovoltaic power plant. Located in the Juan Mina district, the plant has a planned installed capacity of 11.6 megawatts and will supply renewable energy to the city's public lighting system once completed.

The project is currently focused on civil works and substation renovation, while the metal structures and mounting racks required for the installation of photovoltaic modules are also entering the assembly phase.

The power plant is being implemented in two phases. Phase one has an installed capacity of 4.2 megawatts, with plans to install more than 7,600 photovoltaic modules with a rated power of 700 watts each; phase two will add 7.4 megawatts of installed capacity, corresponding to approximately 10,570 modules. The total number of modules across the entire plant is expected to exceed 18,000.

Once the plant is operational, the electricity generated will supply Barranquilla's public lighting system, covering approximately 75,000 light fixtures along streets, parks, boulevards, and main thoroughfares.

Mayor Alejandro Char, during an inspection of the construction site, explained that the modules feature a bifacial structure and the mounting racks are equipped with solar tracking functionality. The electricity generated by the plant will be delivered to K-yena, the company responsible for the operation and management of the city's public lighting. Char stated that these panels will move like the sun because they are bifacial solar panels; the project will generate all the electricity needed to power the city's parks, streets, and public spaces.

The APBAQ I project is one of Barranquilla's initiatives to integrate renewable energy into the public utility power system. Under the same strategic framework, the Entrepuentes energy community project, located near the Pumarejo Bridge, is also progressing, with plans to install 1,642 photovoltaic modules with a peak installed capacity of 1.18 megawatts, which will supply power to approximately 700 households once completed.

Community-level photovoltaic projects are also emerging. In February of this year, Colombia's Ministry of Mines and Energy, together with the Institute for Planning and Promotion of Energy Solutions in Non-Interconnected Areas (IPSE), commissioned two community solar courts in the Adelita de Char and Las Malvinas neighborhoods, with a combined peak installed capacity of 313.6 kilowatts, providing power to approximately 200 households.

Barranquilla is also generating electricity from biogas at the Los Pocitos environmental park. According to the city government, the facility currently has an installed capacity of approximately 4 megawatts and has conditions for expansion.

The APBAQ I project is being developed on land provided by the regional government, with infrastructure built in partnership with Triple A. The local government stated that approximately 60 to 70 people are involved during the construction phase, and operation and maintenance jobs will be retained after the plant becomes operational.