EDPR puts 90 Vestas turbines on auction block after frustrating permitting ride in Colombia
Iberian renewables developer had high hopes for Colombia but fell foul of complex permitting and community relations issues
EDP Renewables has decided to auction off 90 unused Vestas V162-5.6MW wind turbines that have been warehoused in a Colombian port for several years since getting caught up in a tangle of red tape.
The wind turbines were acquired for what was supposed to be EDPR’s flagship project in a promising new market. The company entered the Colombian market in 2019 with projects in La Guajira “that sought to take advantage of the country's enormous wind potential” but then spent several years trying to get approvals for a crucial transmission line for its otherwise fully-permitted Alpha (212MW) and Beta (280MW) onshore wind projects.
The turbines, which include nacelles, hubs, powertrains, towers, blades and cooling units, were stored in Puerto Brisa, La Guajira and partly in Cartagena, both on Colombia’s Caribbean coast.
Bargain bucket?
In its announcement, Escrapalia stressed that all wind turbines have been maintained by Vestas and are audited by an independent, certified company.
EDPR has also put auxiliary balance of plant materials for the assembly of the wind farm up for sale, mentioning manufacturers including Siemens, WEG, 3M and GE.
The final stage of the auction process is scheduled for 24 June.
EDPR has participated in the development of renewable infrastructures in several Latin American countries, including Brazil, Mexico and Chile.
Environmental permits and a 15-year power purchase agreement were secured for the two Colombian wind farms, but a key permission to build the 81-kilometre transmission line needed to connect the two Guajira wind farms to the Colombian grid was withheld.
EDPR also cited the impact of measures taken by the Colombian government that took office in 2022, claiming that “substantial adjustments” were requested for the interconnection line's environmental permit, including the increase in the number of local indigenous communities to be consulted from 56 to 113.
The company described material delays in the development process and a significant increase in construction and financing costs, plus devaluation of the Colombian peso.
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