Celsia to build solar complex in Colombia, allots 19.9 MW to Cemex

Colombian power company Celsia said on Wednesday that it will build and operate a 19.9-MWac solar farm for a Cemex cement factory located in Colombia’s department of Tolima.

Cemex Colombia, part of Mexican building materials maker Cemex SAB de CV (BMV:CEMEXCPO), intends to source 42,865 MWh of electricity per year from this solar farm to power the operations of the Caracolito cement factory in the municipality of Ibague.

The solar farm for Cemex will be one of the plants within the 109.4-MW Escobal solar power complex in Ibague, Celsia said. Once in operation, Escobal will be the largest cluster of solar farms that Celsia ever built, the company added.

Celsia aims to commission the Escobal plants in 2025. The electricity supplies for the Cemex Colombia factory will begin the same year.

The cement maker’s portion of Escobal will enable the factory to replace 25% of its electricity from thermoelectric sources, according to the announcement.

"[S]upplying our main cement plant in Colombia with solar energy will be a decisive step in our strategy to take advantage of renewable sources for cement production in Colombia,” said Alejandro Ramirez, president of Cemex Colombia and Peru.

According to Ricardo Sierra, leader of Celsia, the utility has 17 operational solar farms totalling more than 300 MW of installed capacity in Colombia. Celsia’s target is to reach 1,000 MW of photovoltaic projects under construction and development, some of which will deliver power to the grid and others benefiting various industrial companies, Sierra added.

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