OVERVIEW
Colombia's power supply chain is fed by generation plants with a combined net installed capacity of 14.5 GW, of which 63.7% comes from hydropower plants, 31.5% - from thermal power plants, 4.4% - from small power plants and 0.4% - from cogeneration units. The domestic utilities fully cover local demand, which reached 9.9 GW in 2013. The government projects a domestic demand of 13 GW in 2019, a growth trend that has turned the construction of new infrastructure and the strengthening of the supply chain into a national priority.
DEMAND
Energy demand in 2013 increased by 2.8%, down from the 3.8% growth registered in 2012. The slowdown was largely due to lower consumption by traditional consumers such as oil, coal and cement companies as well as the fall in public orders. Hydroelectric power accounts for 75% of the total consumption in the Andean nation. Colombia is a net exporter of electricity, with a total of 57.8 GWh in exports during 2013, which 89% was exported to Venezuela and the remainder to Ecuador. During the same period, Colombia used imports from neighbouring Ecuador to cover 0.1% of its consumption.
ISAGEN SALE
In a bid to diversify and attract foreign investments, the government has decided to sell a 57.6% stake in the nation's third-biggest electricity generator Isagen. The government is seeking USD 2.5 billion for its stake and plans to invest the proceeds from the sale into electricity infrastructure. Isagen owns and operates six electricity generators in the provinces of Antioquia, Santander, Caldas and Tolima.