Velandia Sepúlveda, however, mentioned that there is significant potential in the western mountain range, such as in the municipalities of Paipa and Iza in Boyaca. “We are going to look in these areas to see if the potential will allow it, but there are companies that have knocked on our doors to say, when will geothermal energy come?” he added.
“We have made a lot of progress and we are seeing what it will be like. This is not a type of offer like with other solar and hydro energies, this has its particularities and we are working. But the challenge that Minister Andrés Camacho left us is that this year, in the second semester, we are launching our first round of geothermal energy,” said Velandia, emphasizing that the agency is working with the Geological Service and have invested a significant amount of its resources in determining the geothermal potential of Colombia.
“It is a challenge that we have to be able to take advantage of our potential, it is an enormous job that the Ministry is leading, obviously with the agencies and the Colombian Geological Service. We are working on all fronts,” said Velandia Sepúlveda.
“…those of us who are geologists know that we have [the potential], but we have to quantify them, we have to delimit them and, when we call on interested parties, be able to say what the potentials really are.”
Colombia currently only has one geothermal power facility operating – the 100-kW geothermal power unit by Parex Resources. Earlier this year, Parex was awarded a license for a geothermal power project in Casanare. State-owned petroleum company Ecopetrol is also actively pursuing geothermal development with drilling of a pair of wells planned in Caldas.
