Gecelca 3 power station
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Gecelca 3 power station (Central Térmica Gecelca) is an operating power station of at least 434-megawatts (MW) in Puerto Libertador, Córdoba, Colombia.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Gecelca 3 power station | Puerto Libertador, Puerto Libertador, Córdoba, Colombia | 7.99111, -75.59456 (exact)[1] |
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Gecelca 3, Gecelca 3.2: 7.99111, -75.59456
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year | Emergency/Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gecelca 3 | Operating[2] | coal: subbituminous[3] | 164[4][2] | subcritical | 2015[4] | 2032 (planned)[5] | False |
| Gecelca 3.2 | Operating[2] | coal: subbituminous[3] | 270[4][2] | subcritical | 2018[4] | 2035 (planned)[5] | False |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Gecelca 3 | Gecelca SA ESP [100%][6] | Gecelca SA ESP [100.0%] |
| Gecelca 3.2 | Gecelca SA ESP [100%][6] | Gecelca SA ESP [100.0%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): domestic
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
The plant's two units - 164-megawatt Gecelca 3 and 270-megawatt Gecelca 3.2 - are a project of the Colombian public utility company Gecelca S.A.[7][8][9]
The originally projected operation dates for the two units were 2013 and 2015, respectively.[10] However, construction was plagued by repeated delays. CUC-DTC asked for a one-year extension on December 9, 2012, moving Gecelca 3's anticipated completion date to December 2013. Gecelca fined CUC-DTC US$75,000 for the delay, casting doubt over CUC-DTC's future role in the construction of Gecelca 3.2.[11] Despite these delays, CUC-DTC was also chosen in late 2013 as the winning bidder for the US$430 million Gecelca 3.2 project.[12]
The US$690 million Gecelca 3 power station was finally brought online in September 2015, becoming the first commercially operating plant in Colombia to use circulating fluidized bed technology.[9][13]
As of March 2016, construction of Gecelca 3.2 was 57% complete.[12]
In November 2016, indigenous demonstrators blocked entrance to the plant, and construction was temporarily suspended.[14][15]
In November 2016, the Colombian national planning agency CONPES recommended that Gecelca be granted a government-funded loan of 250 billion pesos for completion of the Gecelca 3.2 power station. The CONPES report noted that challenging economic conditions for Colombian energy projects in late 2015/2016 had negatively impacted Gecelca's cash flow, and that the company could no longer obtain the necessary funding from commmercial sources. The report further stated that construction of Gecelca 3.2 was 82% complete, with its projected start-up date now delayed until the second half of 2017. [16] In April 2017, Colombia's Ministerio de Hacienda y Crédito Público issued Resolución 0951 approving the loan of 250 billion pesos, with funding to be provided by Banco Davivienda S.A.[17]
As of November 2017, the Gecelca 3.2 plant had still not begun commercial operations, but a draft 2017-2031 national energy plan issued by the Colombian government agency UPME indicated that Gecelca 3.2 would come online sometime in the first half of 2018.[18]
Gecelca 3.2 began test operations on April 20, 2018,[19] and entered commercial operation on September 28, 2018.[20]
Gecelca S.A. planed to fuel the plant via its Las Palmeras mine project, using coal extracted from an open-pit mine northeast of Puerto Libertador [21] in partnership with mining company Cerro Matoso S.A.[22] In an October 2020 interview, Gecelca president Andrés Yabrudy indicated that the company would supply the plant with coal from its own mines starting in 2021.[23]
The Gecelca plant has been declared a project of national strategic importance for Colombia and supplies roughly 5% of the country's energy needs.[24]
As of late 2024, Gecelca was said to play a crucial role in the country's energy mix, especially during periods of low hydroelectric generation. In a critical week, when reservoirs were at minimum capacity, thermal generation (including Gecelca) accounted for 45% of national energy demand.[25]
Maintenance, outages and incidents
In a 2025, inspection report stated that Gecelca's operational and financial results in 2023 and 2024 had been affected by an outage of more than one year at Gecelca 3.0, which caused a loss of generation capacity between March 2022 and December 2023. The report stated that the company had required short-term treasury credit from the national government and a government-guaranteed loan for working capital and the repair of Gecelca 3.0.[26]
During an inspection visit to Puerto Libertador on November 26 and 27, 2025, the Superintendence stated that both Gecelca 3 units were in maintenance. In its conclusions, the agency stated that one unit was in a scheduled outage and the other was unavailable because of a fault, and that Gecelca had provided reports on the interventions, including information on a major outage in 2022–2023.[27]
In May 2026, local media reported that Gecelca had intensified its annual maintenance program ahead of expected El Niño-related pressure on thermal generation. The report stated that Gecelca 3.2, the larger unit at the Gecelca 3 complex, was scheduled to go out of operation on June 26, 2026 for one month of maintenance.[28]
Potential decarbonization and decommissioning plans
The Gecelca power station has no official closure commitment, and the plant comprises two of only three total Colombian coal-fired generating units with energy commitments (Obligaciones Firmes de Energía) past the year 2030.[29] Multiple sources have reported that Gecelca units 3 and 3.2 are required to continue generating electricity through 2032 and 2035, respectively.[29][30][31]
Reporting in October 2024 indicated that Gecelca was exploring technology options for carbon capture at the Gecelca 3 power station in Córdoba.[32]
In December 2025 the Colombian government announced the creation of Gecelca Solar, a new solar-focused subdivision of Gecelca intended to advance decarbonization of Colombia's electrical sector.[33][34] Initial plans called for Gecelca Solar to develop a 650 MW portfolio of large-scale solar projects, including an unnamed 200 MW solar farm on the Caribbean coast.[33][34] The government described the creation of Gecelca Solar as a key step in Gecelca's transition from coal to cleaner fuels; however, it did not specifically mention retirement or transition plans for the Gecelca 3 power station.[33][34] In December 2025, the Ministry of Mines and Energy signed a contract with Gecelca for the administration of COP 4.2 trillion (approximately US$1 billion) under the Colombia Solar programme, intended to fund the installation of solar panels and centralized solar farms for households in socioeconomic strata 1, 2 and 3. The programme was scheduled for execution between 2026 and 2030, with an initial focus on seven Caribbean departments before expanding to six additional departments.[35]
In February 2026, Gecelca Solar announced its first specific renewable energy project: a 200 MW solar plant in the Caribbean region of Colombia, with an estimated investment of approximately US$200 million and expected to benefit around 150,000 families. The project formed part of Gecelca Solar's broader 650 MW portfolio target.[36]
Environmental and Human Rights Impacts
In April 2020, La Liga del Silencio reported that Colombia's indigenous Zenú people are taking legal action against Cerro Matoso S.A. for the company's failure to respect the Zenús' right to prior consent as guaranteed by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The report noted that increased mining in the Puerto Libertador region has caused significant degradation of ancestral Zenú lands and led to serious conflict, including incidents of intimidation and assassination of Zenú community leaders.[22]
In January 2023, legal proceedings were underway following a complaint issued by members of the local La Libertad Indigenous Council claiming that a member of the council was facing harassment and abuse following activism relating to the protection of ancestral land which had been developed by the power plant. [37]
In the 2025, inspection report stated that the continuous emissions monitoring system for Gecelca 3.0 and Gecelca 3.2 had been verified. The report described the CEMS as a tool for real-time measurement of pollutant gases and environmental parameters, including NO, SO2, CO, particulate matter, oxygen, temperature, pressure and flow. The report concluded that plant management had shown a commitment to ensuring that the units had monitoring and follow-up equipment to prevent generation processes from polluting the environment through particulate or gas emissions caused by process inefficiencies.[38]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ https://maps.app.goo.gl/bR9oTDuBixHnw2Lm9.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 https://gecelca.com.co/en/unidades-de-negocio/generacion-2/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://www.gem.wiki/Coal_source_methodology_for_the_Global_Coal_Plant_Tracker.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 https://paratec.xm.com.co/reportes/capacidad-efectiva-neta-tipo-generacion.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 (PDF) https://docs.upme.gov.co/SIMEC/Energia%20Electrica/PIEG/2025-2039/Plan_Generacion_2025-2039.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 (PDF) https://s3.gecelca.com.co/shared/webgecelca3/conocenos/gestion%20entrategica/GECELCA_REPORTE%20INTEGRADO%202024%20_VF.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "Generation". Gecelca. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Reporte Integrado de Gestión 2024 (pp 7, 50)" (PDF). Gecelca. 2025-02-28.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Generación". Gecelca website. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Gecelca construye térmicas por unos us$656 millones," eluniverso.com, Jan. 14, 2012.
- ↑ "El cuento chino de los mil días,", La República, September 8, 2013.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "El ‘cuento chino’ de la energía de Gecelca,", Semana, July 11, 2015.
- ↑ "Entró en funcionamiento termoeléctrica Gecelca 3 en Puerto Libertador,", La Razón, September 16, 2015.
- ↑ Indígenas bloquean nuevamente vía a termoeléctrica Gecelca 3, La Razón, 5 Nov. 2016.
- ↑ Gecelca 3 thermoelectric plant suspended work in Puerto Libertador, El Telégrafo, 8 Nov. 2016.
- ↑ "Documento 3873 (p3 & p11)," CONPES, Nov 12, 2016
- ↑ "Resolución número 0951 de 2017, por la cual se autoriza a Gecelca S.A. E.S.P., para celebrar un empréstito interno con el Banco Davivienda S.A. hasta por la suma de doscientos cincuenta mil millones de pesos ($250.000.000.000), moneda legal colombiana con Garantía de la Nación". Ministerio de Hacienda y Crédito Público. April 10, 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Plan de Expansión de Referencia Generación Transmisión 2017-2031," UPME, Nov 30, 2017
- ↑ BOLETÍN ENERGÉTICO # 150, XM, Apr. 20, 2018
- ↑ BOLETÍN ENERGÉTICO # 165 (p 2), XM, Nov. 1, 2018
- ↑ "Proyecto Minero Las Palmeras". Gecelca S.A. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 22.0 22.1 "'La resistencia del indio' es caminar por el territorio minero | Tierra de Resistentes". Liga Contra el Silencio. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ↑ "Gecelca to enter the energy market". ePower. 2020-10-28.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Planta termoeléctrica de Gecelca, importante proyecto de desarrollo en el Caribe". Región Caribe. 2020-11-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Carbón de Córdoba impulsa la generación eléctrica del Caribe colombiano en épocas críticas". larazon.co. September 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Informe de inspección detallada Generadora y Comercializadora de Energía del Caribe 2025" (PDF). Superintendencia de Servicios Públicos Domiciliarios. November 2025. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Informe de inspección detallada Generadora y Comercializadora de Energía del Caribe 2025" (PDF). Superintendencia de Servicios Públicos Domiciliarios. November 2025. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Plantas de GECELCA y SPEC a mantenimiento preventivo". El Norte. May 2026. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 29.0 29.1 Colombia tiene las condiciones para una transición del sector eléctrico planeada y progresiva más allá del carbón, POLEN Transiciones Justas, August 2023
- ↑ "Gecelca". Andeg (Asociación Nacional de Empresas Generadoras). Retrieved 2026-01-23.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Plan Indicativo de Expansión de la Generación 2025-2039 (p 103)" (PDF). UPME (Unidad de Planeación Minero Energética). 2025-12-18.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Carbón de Córdoba impulsa la generación eléctrica del Caribe colombiano en épocas críticas, País Minero, October 15, 2024
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 "Gobierno nacional anuncia la creación de Gecelca Solar, el nuevo motor de la transición energética que transformará la Costa Caribe". Ministerio de Minas y Energía. 2025-12-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 "Colombia launches solar PV arm, targets 650MW portfolio". PV Tech. 2025-12-08. Retrieved 2026-01-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Gecelca administrará $4,2 billones para ejecutar "Colombia Solar"". El Norte. December 29, 2025. Retrieved May 2026.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Gecelca construirá en la región Caribe planta solar con capacidad de 200 megavatios". El Norte. February 12, 2026. Retrieved May 2026.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "COMISIÓN INTERAMERICANA DE DERECHOS HUMANOS RESOLUCIÓN 27/2023" (PDF). Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
- ↑ "Informe de inspección detallada Generadora y Comercializadora de Energía del Caribe 2025" (PDF). Superintendencia de Servicios Públicos Domiciliarios. November 2025. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
