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Termotasajero power station (Central Térmica Termotasajero) is an operating power station of at least 333-megawatts (MW) in San Cayetano, Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, Colombia with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating. It is also known as Tasajero power station.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Termotasajero power station | San Cayetano, Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, Colombia | 7.8473, -72.6328 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4: 7.8473, -72.6328
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal - unknown | 163 | subcritical | 1985 | – |
| Unit 2 | operating | coal - unknown | 170 | subcritical | 2016 | – |
| Unit 3 | cancelled | coal - unknown | 200 | subcritical | – | – |
| Unit 4 | cancelled | coal - unknown | 250 | subcritical | – | – |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner |
|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Termotasajero SAESP [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Termotasajero SAESP [100.0%] |
| Unit 3 | Termotasajero SAESP [100.0%] |
| Unit 4 | Termotasajero SAESP [100.0%] |
Financing
- Source of financing: Unit 2: US$531 million in loans from Itau-Unibanco, Bancolombia, and Banco de Bogotá.
Background
The plant is owned by Termotasajero S.A., a subsidiary of Colombian investment company Colgener S.A.[1] According to a POLEN Just Transitions report in August 2023, the power station's current "Firm Energy Obligations" (Obligaciónes de Energía en Firme) would remain valid until 2025.[2]
Unit 1
Termotasajero's 163 MW Unit I has been operating since 1984.[1]
Unit 2
In May 2011, company director Hernando Díaz Martínez announced plans to construct a US$330 million, 160-megawatt second unit at Termotasajero, contingent on a successful outcome in the late 2011 energy auction sponsored by Colombian regulatory agency Creg (Comisión de Regulación de Energía y Gas).[3][1]
In January 2012 Korean trading firm Hyundai Corporation secured a $300 million deal with Termotasajero S.A. to construct the plant, with a scheduled completion date 36 months after start of construction.[4]
In November 2012 the Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W) was awarded a $60 million contract to design and supply a 180 MW coal-fired boiler for Termotasajero Unit 2 for South Korean contractor Hyundai Engineering Co., Ltd. Plans called for delivery of the boiler by early 2014, and start-up of the new unit by late 2015.[5]
In an October 2014 interview with El Nuevo Siglo, Alejandro Castañeda, president of ANDEG (Colombia's national power generators' association), said that the second unit of Termotasajero was already 92% complete and on track for a December 2015 start-up date. Mr. Castañeda stated that the new unit would add 170 MW to Termotasajero's generating capacity[6], while other sources have reported Unit II's capacity at 160 MW.[7]
Termotasajero II successfully completed synchronization on November 2, 2015.[1][8][9] The plant came on-line in December 2015 and, after a month-long halt in operations due to equipment damage, resumed generating power at full capacity on 15 March 2016. [8][10]
Financing for Unit 2
In October 2012, a financing agreement for unit 2 was closed. Itau-Unibanco agreed to provide US$315 million in loans to the project.[11] In July 2018, a refinancing agreement for unit 2 was closed. Itau-Unibanco, Bancolombia, and Banco de Bogotá agreed to provide the project with US$216 million in loans.[12]
Solar Power Addition
In early 2023, the coal-fired power station was developing a solar energy project at the same location, to be called Termotasajero Dos Solar. At the time, the manager of Development and New Businesses at Termotasajero claimed that the solar energy generation addition would prevent 185,000 tons of CO2 emissions. [13]
Units 3 and 4
Termotasajero has plans for two additional units at the plant: a 200 MW Unit III and a 250 MW Unit IV.[7] In June and July 2014, plant operator Termotasajero S.A. filed paperwork with Colombia's environmental licensing agency ANLA seeking to modify the plant's environmental permit to include a proposed coal-fired Unit III. The Unit III expansion was officially authorized under ANLA Resolution 1311 in October 2014.[14] The company reportedly hoped to begin construction of Unit III sometime in 2017.[8]
In an August 2016 interview with Revista Activa magazine, Termotasajero's Technical Manager Juan David Arango Vélez confirmed that the company was currently developing engineering plans and negotiating with construction companies, but that actual construction of Unit III would be contingent on the results of Colombia's next annual energy auction, tentatively scheduled for 2017. In October 2016 CREG, Colombia's national energy regulatory agency, called off the anticipated 2017 energy auction, affirming that energy supply from existing plants and those already under construction would be sufficient to supply the country through November 2020[15], and in 2017 Colombia's government proposed additional changes to its energy auction process that seem destined to favor renewable energy sources over traditional hydrocarbon-fueled plants such as Termotasajero.[16][17]
In May 2018 the project's sponsors announced the cancellation of Units 3 and 4 in a letter to the Colombian Mining Energy and Planning Unit (Upme).[18] The letter cited the government's apparent lack of interest in developing coal-power projects, declining interest among banks in funding coal projects, and the prospect of new taxes on coal consumption.[18]
In December 2018 Termotasajero briefly revived its plans to develop Unit 3, citing a three-year construction delay at the Hidroituango hydroelectric plant that appeared likely to create near-term energy shortages in Colombia.[19] However, Hidroituango's subsequent decision to enter Colombia's 2019 national energy auction threw cold water on Termotasajero's plans, given the government's previously stated preference for funding renewable energy projects.[20] Results of the energy auction published by CREG (Comisión de Regulación de Energía y Gas) in March 2019 show that Termotasajero did not enter the auction, while Hidroituango successfully negotiated a ten-year contract (2022-2032).[21]
Termotasajero S.A. appears to have abandoned its plans for Termotasajero Unit 3 and begun moving away from coal-fired power in general, as evidenced by the company's decision to participate in Colombia's second national renewable energy auction in 2019.[22]
Opposition
On March 1, 2014, union workers protested for higher salaries as employees of the Termotasajero power station in Colombia.[23]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Termotasajero". Andeg. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Colombia tiene las condiciones para una transición del sector eléctrico planeada y progresiva más allá del carbón, POLEN Transiciones Justas, August 2023
- ↑ "Termotasajero proyecta construir una segunda planta,", Portafolio.co, May 8, 2011.
- ↑ "Hyundai wins $300 mil. power plant order from Colombia," The Korea Times, Jan. 19, 2012.
- ↑ "B&W Awarded $60 Million Boiler Project in Colombia, South America". Business Wire. November 6, 2012.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Generadoras descartan desabastecimiento de energía". El Nuevo Siglo. October 21, 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Termotasajero S.A. E.S.P.," BNAmericas website, accessed October 2015.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Termotasajero 2 entró nuevamente en funcionamiento," La Opinión, March 15, 2016
- ↑ "사람과 공간 - 현대엔지니어링," Hyundai Engineering Magazine, Jan 11, 2016
- ↑ "Colombia prepares to ration electricity," Argus Media, March 23, 2016
- ↑ "Preview of Termotasajero Coal Power Plant Unit 2 (161.6MW) | Transaction | IJGlobal". ijglobal.com. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
- ↑ "Preview of Termotasajero Coal Power Plant Unit 2 (161.6MW) Refinancing | Transaction | IJGlobal". ijglobal.com. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
- ↑ "Térmica a carbón también le apostó a generar energía solar en Norte de Santander". El Tiempo. Jan. 12, 2023.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ↑ "Resolución 0403" (PDF). ANLA. April 12, 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Gobierno no ve necesarias nuevas plantas generadoras de energía," El Tiempo, October 24, 2016.
- ↑ "Hay temor por el futuro de las termoeléctricas," El Tiempo, September 10, 2017.
- ↑ " Habrá subasta de energías no convencionales," El Tiempo, November 3, 2017.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 "TermoTasajero III cancela su proyecto para la generación de energía". Portafolio. May 24, 2018.
- ↑ "Termotasajero proceeds with coal-fired plant". Latin Finance. December 5, 2018.
- ↑ "EPM dobla la apuesta por Hidroituango". La Silla Vacía. February 12, 2019.
- ↑ "Resultados publicados por el administrador de la subasta para la asignación de obligaciones de energía firme del Cargo por Confiabilidad 2022-2023". CREG. March 1, 2019.
- ↑ "Los Solari apuestan por crecer con fuentes renovables en negocio eléctrico de Colombia". El Mercurio. September 15, 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Atn Noticias - 01 Marzo Protesta Sindicato De Trabajadores De Termotasajero," ATN Televisión, translated by Google, 3 Mar. 2014
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.
