Bogota power generation side energy storage peak regulation project

Colombia's power system is characterised by large installed capacity for hydropower (70% of total capacity), mostly from plants with significant reservoir capacity. VRE generation capacity, below 1% in 2017, would reach 17% by 2030 under the revised energy plan (UPME, 2018). Additional biomass power by 2030 would account for 3% of capacity.

12.5 GW (6.2 gigawatt-hours, GWh) of energy storage, mostly in the GCM and Cordoba Sucre areas where most of the VRE is deployed. In Colombia's case, pumped hydro storage could be the most suitable option to boost flexibility in the existing system.

Since the existing regulatory framework in Colombia is not allowing storage systems or behind-the-meter resources to provide the required flexibility services, hydropower will be the more likely alternative, leading to faster system dynamics and to new inertia requirements.

The Colombian energy transition is centered around large and small-scale wind and solar power integration that will increase the requirements of flexibility services, inertia and grid expansion at transmission and distribution levels, but also that will make the generation mix even greener.

Relationship between the RE penetration, ES power, and confidence in satisfying. Energy storage (ES) can mitigate the pressure of peak shaving and frequency regulation in power systems with high penetration of renewable energy (RE) caused by uncertainty and inflexibility.

In 2030 the VRE installed capacity will grow to 17%; however, Colombia will still have enough flexibility – even in dry years with limited hydropower generation – thanks to plans to greatly expand transmission capacity and to add another 2.4 GW of hydropower capacity (Ituango project) on top of the large hydro resources already in the system.