Colombia’s Grupo Energia Bogotá unlocks 252MW capacity with FACTS
Grupo Energia Bogotá has installed Smart Wires’ transmission power flow control technology in the Caribbean region of their network.
The project at the Termocandelaria substation in the Caribbean coastal city of Cartagena uses the SmartValve technology to alleviate inter-regional congestion, unlocking 252MW of new capacity for generation on the existing network.
SmartValve is a modular intelligent control for power flows across transmission lines, effectively pushing power off overloaded lines or pulling power on to underutilised lines and thus enabling more efficient use of the network and the release of the additional interconnection capacity, which in turn improves the reliability of supply to the region.
“Due to the increase in generation at the Termocandelaria power plant there is a need for an innovative technology to regulate the energy supply,” comments Fredy Zuleta, General Manager of Transmission of Grupo Energía Bogotá.
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“In addition, among their functional advantages SmartValves offer wide environmental and economic benefits, as they provide solutions to different needs in the short, medium and long term for the country, since they reduce the obligation to carry out new transmission projects, such as lines and substations, to adequately dispatch the energy generated.”
The initiative, Smart Wires’ second in Colombia following an earlier project with Empresas Públicas de Medellín, is one of several that are emerging following the use of flexible alternating current transmission system (FACTS) devices being incentivised in Colombia’s transmission expansion plan.
Joaquin Peirano, Smart Wires’ Commercial Manager – Latin America, says that Colombia has become a global leader in leveraging technology to enable a cleaner, greener future.
“This pivotal project is unlocking significant capacity and strengthening supply of reliable, affordable electricity to consumers across the Caribbean region.”
Grupo Energía Bogotá is a leading business group in the transmission and distribution of electricity and the transportation and distribution of natural gas in Colombia as well as in Peru, Brazil and Guatemala.
