| Keywords |
Colombia, Update, Colombian exploration, Paipa, Azufral Volcano, San Diego Maar, El Escondido de Florencia, Paramillo de Santa Rosa, Cerro MachÃn. |
| Abstract |
In the last 5 years the most relevant events for the geothermal development in Colombia are the evolution in the regulatory frame, the advances in the geothermal exploration, the consolidation of a very active geothermal community, the installation of the first utilization project for direct use, with the exception of bathing and swimming uses, and changes in power generation sector. Regarding the regulatory frame, from the Law 1715 of 2014 which regulates the integration of nonconventional renewable energy in the National Energy System (Colombia, 2014), two new decrees from the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) 2143 of 2015 and 1543 of 2017, have reinforced the legal frame for promoting the non-conventional energy sources. The first of them defines the guidelines for the application of the incentives established in the Law 1715 of 2014 and, second one, regulates a non-conventional energies and efficient energy management fund, FENOGE (for its abbreviation in Spanish). Also worth mentioning the terms of reference project for the environmental license for exploration and exploitation developed by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. On the other hand, the National Development Plan for four-year-period (2018-2022) foresees the expedition of the regulatory framework for geothermal exploration and exploitation and, the continuity of the Servicio Geológico Colombiano (the Colombian Geological Survey, SGC for its Spanish abbreviation) in geothermal research and exploration. The geothermal exploration advanced in Paipa, Azufral Volcano and San Diego geothermal areas and started in two new areas located in the middle area of the Central Cordillera: Paramillo de Santa Rosa and Cerro MachÃn included as objectives of exploration in 2018. The following achievements are some of the most relevant achievements in exploration. Updating of the model of Paipa geothermal system. Completion of the exploration studies of Azufral volcano system. Construction of 3D magnetotelluric models for Paipa and Azufral areas and the local implementation of this capability. The completion of the geological map in scale 1:25.000 and the geochemistry of geothermal fluids and, the beginning of the geophysical studies (potential fields and magnetotellurics) in San Diego area. It is noteworthy that the SGC formulated and started to work on a geothermal gradients drilling project in Paipa geothermal area. However, it had to be postpone in consideration of the adverse answer of the local community shaped by peasants of the rural area (without indigenous population involved) who following their environmental leaders relate any drilling activity with mining projects and fracking. This fact obliged to the reinforcement of the strategy of socialization for constructing confidence and credibility in the community. The consolidation of the geothermal community started from the interest of the students and professionals of different universities, particularly from the geology departments, formed geothermal seedbeds for the research and promotion of geothermal resources. They summoned to all the interested parties, power generation companies, the SGC and private project developers. From those seedbeds, the Asociación Geotérmica Colombiana (AGEOCOL, for its Spanish abbreviation), a national geothermal association, was created. This association organized several shorts courses in different subjects, with guest experts, and signed cooperation agreements and established the Reunión Nacional de Geotermia (RENAG), an annual geothermal meeting, which has had three (3) editions (2016 to 2018), with invited experts from El Salvador, Chile, Iceland, among others. A significant contribution to the motivation of the local geothermal community was the creation of the Geothermal Resources Council representative office in Latin America (GRC-LATAM). The success in the application of the new legal frame and particularly the incentives for investment, research and development of environmental clean technologies to produce energy and improve the energy efficiency, harvest its first result in a pilot project for energy saving by using a heat pump for cooling. The project obtained the VAT tax exemption for the purchase of the heat pump. This is the first geothermal installation in Colombia, located in an industrial park in Tocancipá, a municipality located 40 km north from Bogotá. The changes in the power generation sector with impact on the geothermal development expectations consist of the privatization of ISAGEN S.A. E.S.P, the third power generation company, since Colombian Government sold its actions to the fund of investments Canadian Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (BAM). It is not clear the future of geothermal projects in development by ISAGEN MW. For its part, CHEC-EPM, which keeps an environmental license since the drilling of Nereidas-1 well in 1997, is intending to start the drilling stage to confirm the geothermal resource. The document presents a brief updating of exploration, legal frame, and utilization of geothermal resources of Colombia. |