COLOMBIA · ENERGY
Key Facts
- What happened: Grupo Energía Bogotá (GEB) has delayed its Colectora wind-power transmission line in Colombia’s La Guajira region again.
- The scale: The 500-kilovolt line stretches about 475 kilometers through La Guajira and neighboring Cesar state, Colombia’s wind belt.
- What it means: Colectora would connect seven wind farms, carrying enough power for about 10% of Colombia’s peak demand.
- The catch: Even after 235 consultation sessions in eight years, regulators just certified 18 more communities needing talks.
- Who it touches: Bogotá’s city government owns 66% of GEB, so the delay also touches the capital’s own finances.
Colombia’s Colectora wind line has slipped eight more months, as regulators keep certifying new communities that need consultation first.
State-controlled transmission company Grupo Energía Bogotá (GEB) has hit a fresh delay on its wind-power line. The project, called Colectora, would carry wind power from La Guajira to Colombia’s power grid.
GEB’s transmission subsidiary Enlaza is building the 500-kilovolt line across La Guajira and neighboring Cesar state. Colombia’s interior ministry just certified 18 more communities that require consultation before crews can finish.
That decision pushed Colectora’s finish date from August 2026 to April 2027, El Tiempo reported. The delay adds eight more months to a project GEB was first awarded back in 2018.
A Line Years in the Making
Colectora’s original target for completion was late 2022, before the first major delays began. New rounds of consultation have pushed that date back several times since then.
The line crosses ten towns in La Guajira and four more in Cesar. It would connect seven wind farms capable of generating 1,050 megawatts of power.
That is enough electricity for about 10% of Colombia’s peak demand, developers say. The line’s southern half is already fully built, while crews finish towers on the northern half.
The project also includes new substations at Cuestecitas and La Loma, plus equipment to stabilize the grid. Wind developers building nearby include Enel, EPM, and Isagen, near the town of Uribia.
Consultations That Keep Adding Communities
Builders have already held more than 235 consultation sessions over eight years, El Tiempo reported. Many of the communities involved are Wayuu, an indigenous group common across La Guajira.
Colombian law requires companies to consult ethnic communities before building on or near their land. That rule has shaped Colectora’s long timeline ever since GEB first won the project.
Enlaza’s general manager said consulting communities matters, since the land belongs to them. He added that the certification process needs clearer rules, since new communities keep qualifying for talks.
Who Owns GEB, and Why It Matters
GEB traces its roots to Bogotá’s first electric lighting service, which began in 1889. The city government has held a majority stake in the company since 1951.
Today, Bogotá’s city government still owns 66% of GEB, according to Wikipedia’s account. That means any delay’s added costs and lost power ultimately touch the city’s own budget.
GEB also runs energy and gas businesses beyond Colombia, including operations in Peru, Brazil, and Guatemala. That makes GEB one of the largest energy groups anywhere in Latin America.
For now, GEB says the northern half of the line should be finished by April 2027. The company has not said whether further delays could still follow before that date.
More: Colombia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Colectora line?
Colectora is a 500-kilovolt transmission line that will carry wind power from La Guajira to Colombia’s national grid. Grupo Energía Bogotá (GEB) is building it through its subsidiary Enlaza.
Why has the project been delayed again?
Colombia’s interior ministry certified 18 more communities that require consultation before construction can finish. That pushed the completion date from August 2026 to April 2027.
Who owns Grupo Energía Bogotá?
Bogotá’s city government owns 66% of Grupo Energía Bogotá (GEB), making it the company’s majority shareholder. GEB also runs energy and gas businesses in Peru, Brazil, and Guatemala.
Sources: El Tiempo, Grupo Energía Bogotá / Enlaza, Wikipedia.
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