sogamoso hydroelectric power plant project, national pride

SOGAMOSO HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANT PROJECT, NATIONAL
PRIDE, WON THE 2015 NATIONAL ENGINEERING AWARD
May 29, 2015

This award has been given out for 77 years to recognize projects through which
effective transcendent solutions are developed by innovation, discipline and
continuous improvement, with criteria for economic, technical, environmental and
social sustainability.

The award ceremony took place at the facilities of the Colombian Society of Engineers.
ISAGEN's Generation Projects Manager, Adolfo Fehrmann Espinosa, Civil Engineer,
received the award. He was the Project's Director of Civil Works and Equipment.

ISAGEN would like to congratulate all the other winners of the Awards for Excellence in
National Engineering and the Julio Garavito Orders of Merit awarded by the National
Government.
In the presence of the Minister of Transport, businesspeople and scholars, the Sogamoso
Hydroelectric Power Plant Project received the 2015 National Engineering Award on Friday, May 29
during the celebration of the 128th Anniversary of the Colombian Society of Engineers (SCI, for the
Spanish original).
"The Colombian Society of Engineers recognizes ISAGEN's spirit and prominence in the
progressive and active evolution of engineering in Colombia, developing a project in this
important area of our country a reality with its efforts, showing on this occasion a high level of
scientific, technical and operational value. This project will undoubtedly have a favorable
impact on the economic and social development of those living in the region and the country in
general”, indicated the Society in its communication to ISAGEN.
On December 20, 2014 the Sogamoso Hydroelectric Power Plant achieved 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. This hydroelectric power plant is the fourth largest in
Colombia in terms of installed capacity, and it positioned ISAGEN as the nation's second largest
generator of electricity with a total potential of 3,032 MW.
"The Company recently reported that thanks to the start-up of the power plant, ISAGEN
managed to increase power generation by 23% during the first three months of 2015, going
from 2,999 GWh to 3,701 GWh. During the first quarter, this power plant generated 25% of the
Company's total energy. This was how ISAGEN managed to meet 23% of the country's energy
demand, which rose 3.3% compared to the first quarter of 2014." said Luis Fernando Rico
Pinzón, ISAGEN's Chief Executive Officer when he heard the news.
Juan
Correa
Gómez
JuanFelipe
Felipe
Correa
Gómez
Cell
+57
(320)
693-6399
Cellphone:
phone:
+57
(320)
693-6399
[email protected]
Points of interest about the Power Plant:
The Power Plant uses water from the Sogamoso River to generate electricity with the construction of a
dam (Latora*) that is 190 meters high and the installation of three underground generation units.
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-meter long and 72-meter wide concrete
channel controlled by four floodgates.
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.
Power Plant construction was completed in a period of 6 years, and it required an investment 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/nuestra-empresa/generacion-de-energia/generacion-hidroelectrica/centralhidroelectrica-sogamoso/
Juan Felipe Correa Gómez
Cell phone: +57 (320) 693-6399