Overview of Renewable Energies in Colombia, Costa Rica, Italy and Malawi
Group:
Francesco Mazzeo
Tabithah Dorcus
Natalia Diaz
Laura Rubio
Colombia
· Renewables in Colombia provide 28,1 MW. It consist of 19,5 MW of wind, 2,6 MW small hydroelectric, and 6 MW photovoltaic. This represents 0.2% of installed capacity in the country.
· Hydropower is nearly 70% of the country’s energy generation. The potential is 96 GW, while small (20 MW) hydropower projects could generate 25,000 MW.
· Colombia has a great biomass potential from banana, coffee pulp, and animal residues. The existing potential is of 8.46 million.
· It has been estimated that Colombia has a wind power potential of 21,000 MW, which would be enough to generate enough power to meet the Colombian power demand twice.
· Its daily solar average potential is 4,5 kWh/m2. The 6 MW of solar power that has been installed in Colombia comes from 78,000 solar panels.
· Governmental goals establish that the renewable energies should increase to 20% of the total energy production by 2015 and to 30% by 2020.
Wind Map – Colombia
Power Generation in Colombia
Renewable Energy Generation in Colombia
Source: UPME
HYDROPOWER
- Hydropower is nearly 70% of the country’s energy generation. The total potential of big projects is 96 GW, while small (20 MW) hydropower projects could generate 25,000 MW.
- By law, small hydro is only considered renewable energy if it is under 10 MW, therefore only169 MW coming from small hydropower plants is considered renewable.
- Although ocean energy potential is calculated in 30 GW, no projects have been implemented.
- Colombia is planning to increase hydroelectric capacity 32% by 2018.
BIOMASS
- Colombia has great biomass potential that comes from banana, coffee pulp, and animal residues.
- It is estimated that 268 MW will be generated by 2011.
- Self-generation projects provide 800 MW, representing a minimum amount of the estimated installed capacity, which is 13,456 MW.
- Energy from sugar cane, which actually produces 31,5 MW, presents the biggest potential given the immense amount of available baggasse (6 m. tonnes/year).
EOLIC
- It has been estimated that Colombia has a wind power potential of 21,000 MW, which would be enough to generate power to meet the Colombian power demand twice.
- Its daily solar average solar potential is 4,5 kWh/m2.
- The 6 MW of solar power that has been installed in Colombia come from 78,000 solar panels used basically in rural applications and road signalling.
- An additional 7.5 MW wind project o will open in 2012.
GEOTHERMAL
- Due to the recent volcanic activity, Colombia has a great geothermal potential, but it has not been exploited until now.
- Geothermal energy has a potential of 1,000 MW.
SOLAR
- Only 6 MW of photovoltaic energy.
- Colombia´s daily energy potential is 4,5KWhm2.
Solar Energy map – Colombia
OPPORTUNITIES
- Colombia has 11 non-connected zones that lack any electric power and account for as much 68% of the total country. 1,191,538 inhabitants that are not connected to the grid.
- Governmental goals establish that the renewable energies should increase to 3,5% of the total energy production by 2015 and to 6,5% by 2020.
- Colombia has 38 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) energy projects with potential annual reductions of 3.3 m. tonnes of CO2 emissions. It is estimated that if all projects were implemented, the country could count on an additional installed capacity of 865MW from hydroelectric, eolic, thermal and biomass plants.
LEGISLATION AND INCENTIVES
- Until now, legislation doesn´t involve significant financial subsidies or tax incentives from the national government.
- Few incentives have been introduced:
- Implementation goals, tax exemptions, research grants, and reliability charge exemptions for small (< 20MW) hydroelectric projects.
- Equipment and machinery to be used in projects, activities or programs intended to reduce energy consumption or use clean energy technology qualify for VAT exemption or income tax exemption when their uses are part of programs or plans developed by the Ministries of Environment and Energy.
- Electricity sales made by generation companies are exempted from income taxes for 15 years if generated only by wind, biomass and agricultural waste.
- Law 697 provides certain incentives for research and development in this field.
- Subprograms to promote renewable energy and the efficient use of energy (culture, research, energy losses control, fuel substitution, incentives to technologies, among others).
Sources:
Renewable Energy Opportunities in Colombia. UK Trade and Investment. http://www.ukti.gov.uk/export/countries/americas/southamerica/colombia/sectorbriefing/125424.html
Sustainable Energy and Biofuel Strategies for Colombia. Mitsubishi Research Institute. November 2010. http://www.minminas.gov.co/minminas/downloads/archivosEventos/6776.pdf
Costa Rica
– 90% of the country’s energy comes from sources such as hydroelectric plants solar panels, geothermal, eolic and biomass plants.
– Around 12% of all energy produced in Costa Rica, is with biomass. Now there are 4 main biomass plants manged by the private sector.
– The other 10% of the energy comes from fossil fuels due to the reduce of water in the plants during the dry season.
– The first hydroelectric plant was built in 1958. Now this country has more than 12 hydroelectric plants and 4 main geothermal projects.
– The production of big projects of hydroelectric and geothermal energy are managed by the Costarrican Institute of Electricity (ICE), however there are several concessions that are giving to private companies. This concessions are usually obtain by public beats.
– Wind Map of Costa Rica and the Caribean:
ITALY
Italy as most of the countries is considerably dependent of fossil fuels to generate energy, with an increasing portion occupied by Natural Gas, mostly imported. Italy doesn’t generate nuclear power. Concerning the renewable energies, they accounted for 10,7% of the primary production in 2009, principally Geothermal, Biomass, and Hydropower. Regarding wind and solar energy, trends recently show an increase thanks to subsidies and increasing investments (+124%, 2010). In 2010 Italy added 16,7 GW of power installed from solar and wind energy. Also the electricity generation from renewable is increasing, counting from around 18% in 2008 to over 20% in 2010. This is emphasized by the fact that due to the economic crisis, total production and consumption of electric generation has decreased.
Italy (and west Europe) wind map
Italian electricity production from Biomass over time
Italy Heat flow
Geothermal energy in Italy
Italy is pioneer in the energy transformation of underground heat, as the first plant in the world has been built in Tuscany at the beginning of last century. This area is actually the most indicate as shown in the map to produce such a energy and nowadays the industry delivers more than 5 GWh of electricity per year, accounting for 31 plants all over the national territory. The total capacity installed sums 810 MW, making Italy one of the world leader into the electricity production from geothermal processes.
Ocean Energy
This new technology is still in a development phase in Italy, currently tests are conducted in pilot projects. Nonetheless the topic raises great interest to ENEA (governmental agency for economic development and energy technologies): a great spot has been identified in Messina currents in Strait have the potential to produce 15.000 MW, according to a university research in south Italy.
Wave power potential around EU and Italy Coast
Support mechanisms
In Italy we mostly refer to direct regulatory price-driven strategies to promote renewables, which makes the process investment focused. In 2010, 24% of the total subsidies (3400 million Euro) has been allocated into photovoltaic thanks to a specific program, turning the technology into the more relieved as the more expensive. The related major problem is that the cost of the subsidy in beard by consumers who experience increases in energy bills to sustain the transition.
Other mechanisms of sustainment are the Tradeable Green Certificate (TCG) which creates an emission market to transfer the cost of polluting to the conventional forms and a Quota obligation, an obligation for electricity generators to feed a given proportion of RES-e into the power system which binds them to deliver an increasing percentage of energy from renewables (due to EU directive 96/92/CE).
Malawi
● Malawi heavily depends on Biomas ( charcoal, firewood and Agricultural/ Industrial wastes), 93% of the total energy.
● No oil and gas sources available, generally imported.
● Coal mainly constitutes 2.5% of the energy in the country.
● Hydro energy constitutes 94% of the electricity and thermal (6%), has six hydro power plants with total output of 282.5 MW.
● Hydropower has been hit by dropping water levels due to drought and environmental degradation.
● Signed a contract with the Millenium Challenge Corporation to improve the power system.
● Energy regulating body was established in 2007, called Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority
● The country also has wind sources and its believed that the country could meet all the electricity demand by wind energy only by 2030. Currently no wind farms available, doing research to have a first wind farm in chilunguzi, mwasinga village, Dedza District.