The electricity sector faces a series of alerts, first of all due to the approach of the El Niño phenomenon and the capacity of the system to generate energy.
In addition to this, there are other issues that are added, such as the capacity of the regional transmission network to respond to the demand of regions such as the Caribbean or Chocó.
(See: There would be self-sufficiency in gas until 2024 and in crude oil until 2027).
About Jaime Alejandro Zapata, manager of the National Dispatch Center (CND), explained that they are different issues, that are not related, but that are relevant to the system.
What is the alert that you have raised these days?
Fulfilling our function as a market operator, we permanently give short and medium-term signals to the sector.
That is why we issued a communication about the depletion of the network in some areas of the country. This generated some misrepresentations and we consider it necessary to make some clarifications.
What are those points that were misrepresented?
There are some technical explanations, eg. Colombia indeed has sufficient resources for power generation and primary resources to generate. In some cases they were talking about rationing and the El Niño phenomenon.
(See: Caribe and Chocó, at risk of blackouts due to saturated networks).
Do they remain in their first pronouncement on the possibilities of neglecting the demand?
XM confirms that the analyzes of the medium and long-term energy operational planning that we have carried out. To date there is no risk of shortages with the sensitivities that we have analyzed.
We believe that was misinterpreted in our communication. The problem is in the regional transmission networks, particularly on the Caribbean coast. We want to make a call and we are not backing down.
The depletion of the transmission capacity of the network in the Caribbean region is not related to energy shortage problems. The depletion of the networks implies difficulties for transmission and, given the increase in demand, we are also seeing increases in unmet demand. In June we declared an emergency in some stations in the Caribbean.
What does that mean?
That the service is not being provided with the quality, safety and reliability that is defined in the current regulations.
Unmet demand is being programmed in the Caribbean region as a consequence of this depletion and could obviously increase as demand grows.
You called to take action in this regard.
What measures can be defined?
The structural solution to these situations of depletion in the regional transmission network is the timely entry of expansion projects. This is not an unknown subject for anyone; Evidence of this is that the expansion works that have been awarded are at 68% execution and have delays of between 1 and 4 years.
What is the percentage of the demand that is failing to be met?
It really isn’t much over the total, it’s 1%, but that means that there are thousands of users in those areas who aren’t having the service they should have. In addition, 60% of that unmet demand is in the Caribbean.
They also mentioned medium-term risks, due to delays in some works.
(See: Enel makes investments to improve service response in Bogotá).
How do they advance and how dangerous is it?
This is a medium-term issue and that is important clarity. If the Chivor II substation and associated lines are reviewed, delays of more than 3,000 days are found, that is, more than 10 years. and a late work has a lot of impact.
We have talked about the Caribbean. What is the alert in the case of Chocó?
In this area the case is different, because in the event of any failure in the system, it goes against unattended demand. So it’s very serious, but it’s different.
XM operations center.
Jaiver Nieto. TIME
Why is there talk of unmet demand and not blackout or rationing?
Is not the same. If we talk about rationing, for example, it is because there is not enough energy to supply the demand. Now, when we talk about a blackout, it is because an area goes out without control. This is not the case.
In fact, what we do from the National Dispatch Center is schedule the unmet demand when we see that we are not capable of transporting the energy that is being demanded. This is controlled and preventive, because if we don’t do this, the system can be overloaded and we could leave more people without power.
Somehow that could have caused confusion, but we want to be very clear, because this is not rationing.
What are the critical projects that with their entry into operation would dissolve these alerts?
These are different according to the regions.
In the case of Bolívar, there is a 500 kilovolt substation, which is Carreto, which should enter in 2027, but it has not been awarded. In Guajira – Cesar – Magdalena there are some very important ones that are La Loma-La Jagua and La Loma-El Paso that are ready for October of this year, but they were originally required for 2018.
The projects are there, but the problem is that they are very late and that is the biggest problem.
(See: The reservoirs closed the first semester with a useful volume of 72%).
Clarifications and relationship with Upme
After XM, operator of the electricity market, and the National Dispatch Center issued the statement warning about the depletion of the network, Upme issued another communication making clarifications. In this regard, Jaime Alejando Zapata, manager of the CND, explained that the relationship with Upme is in good condition and the intention of the entities is to generate clarity and find solutions for the system.
The Upme reported that the critical works are expected to enter this year and Carreto will also be called out so far this year.
“The aforementioned works allow us to improve the infrastructure and meet the needs of the electrical system in these areas”the entity pointed out.
(See: Myths and realities about the energy transition).
DANIELA MORALES SOLER
Journalist Portfolio
