the colombian president to inaugurate the sogamoso

THE COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT TO INAUGURATE THE
SOGAMOSO HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANT
14 January, 2015

On Thursday, January 15, the Colombian President, Juan Manuel
Santos Calderón, along with other officials from different federal
government ministries and authorities from the Department of
Santander, will inaugurate the Sogamoso Hydroelectric Power Plant
built by ISAGEN.

On December 20, the Sogamoso Power Plant reached its maximum
capacity of 820 MW, with the potential to produce close to 8.3% of the
energy consumed annually by Colombians, fulfilling its commitment
made to the Colombian electricity sector and creating development
opportunity for the Department of Santander.
On June 15, the Colombian President, Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, along with
other representatives from his cabinet of ministers, will inaugurate the Sogamoso
Hydroelectric Power Plant in the Department of Santander, advised ISAGEN Chief
Executive Officer, Luis Fernando Rico Pinzón.
With the inauguration of the three units of the Sogamoso Hydroelectric Power
Plant, ISAGEN accomplishes a great milestone in the Colombian Electricity Sector.
It now has the capacity to generate an annual average of 5,056 GWh/year,
supplying 8.3% of the energy to be consumed by Colombians this year.
This Power Plant is the fourth largest hydroelectric power plant in Colombia in
terms of installed capacity, and it positions ISAGEN as the nation's second largest
generator of electricity with a total potential of 3,032 MW.
“We have no doubt that the Sogamoso Power Plant Project was well
executed. It was completed in line with the initial budget, and it contributes
to a higher quality of life for those living in the area of influence,” said Luis
Fernando Rico Pinzón, ISAGEN CEO.
With this plant, the Company will increase its energy production capacity by 60%. It
also increases national energy security and supports tourism development in the
region.
Juan Felipe Correa Gómez
Cell phone: +57-1-320-693-6399
[email protected]
Points of interest about the Power Plant:
The Power Plant uses water from the Sogamoso River to generate electrical energy with
the 190 m Latora* Dam and three underground generator units.
The Sogamoso Power Plant also benefits from the (Topocoro**) Reservoir, which is
capable of holding 4,800 million cubic meters of water, the maximum capacity achieved in
Colombia.
Construction of the dam included 9 million cubic meters of aggregate material sourced
from suppliers in the area. Additionally, to control swells that cannot be stored in the
reservoir, the power plant has a spillway built on the left side of the dam, consisting of a
354 m long and 72 m wide concrete channel controlled by four floodgates.
Power Plant construction was completed in a period of 6 years, and it required an
investment in excess of 4.3 trillion Colombian pesos, including the costs of borrowing. Of
the total investment, 770,000 million pesos were invested in infrastructure replacement
construction.
The Sogamoso Hydroelectric Power Plant is a candidate to be recognized as a Clean
Development Mechanism project by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) due to the energy efficiency of its reservoir rated at 12 MW/km2. The
Sogamoso Hydroelectric Power Plant generates clean energy.
Social and Environmental Management in the Power Plant Construction
Project:
ISAGEN executed the Power Plant construction project seeking the insertion of this facility
in the region, focusing on the future and delivering a real opportunity for the development
of communities in the area of influence. For this region the Company implemented 21
programs comprising the Environmental Management Plan (EMP). Said programs were
authorized by the Environmental Authorities and designed to support the following:
physical (water, air and soil), biotic (flora and fauna) and social (communities)
components. It also established other programs providing complementary management
and supporting this cause, with a total environmental investment of 1.4 trillion pesos.
(*) The term Latora has its origins in the Yarigüies dialect and translates as, "place that
dominates the river."
(**) The municipality of Betulia had the most area taken in by the reservoir. It is also known
by the name Topocoro, and for this reason the name was selected for the reservoir.
Learn more about the Power Plant at:
https://www.isagen.com.co/comunicados/Cartilla-central-Sogamoso.pdf
See Photos of the Construction Process:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.222317074467357.61723.202148923150839
&type=3
Juan Felipe Correa Gómez
Cell phone: +57-1-320-693-6399
[email protected]