EDF Colombia and Refocosta to develop eucalyptus-fed biomass plant

As part of a commitment to contribute to the energy transition through green energy generation, EDF Colombia and Refocosta have partnered to build a biomass power generation plant from the largest eucalyptus crop in the country.
The plant will be located in the municipality of Villanueva (Casanare) and will have a total installed capacity of 25 MW Net. The energy will be supplied in its entirety to the Ecopetrol Group, through an agreement with Gecelca S.A.
In total, more than 200 GWh of green and firm energy will be generated per year, which will mean a reduction in CO2 emissions of more than 70 thousand tons per year in the country's energy matrix, according to the companies.
The project is designed to have a positive impact on the local economy, because the technology covers an extensive value chain - from nursery work, through land preparation and crop management to energy production.
'The investment decision taken by EDF and Refocosta is the result of intense joint development work. Although this project is the first implemented by EDF in Colombia, we hope to develop a series of additional projects together with Refocosta to contribute to the decarbonisation of the Colombian energy matrix, accelerate the energy transition and combat climate change,' said Jean-Francois Lebrun, CEO of EDF Colombia.
Construction of the plant is scheduled to begin during the first quarter of 2023 in order to start operations in early 2025, contributing to the diversification of the energy matrix and the country's transition to cleaner energy sources.
"At Refocosta, sustainability is at the core of our work. Therefore, we are convinced that promoting the generation of green energy with this biomass plant is key to contributing to the objectives set by the country within the framework of COP27, in addition to contributing to energy security and social, economic and environmental development," said Carlos Andres Lopez, president of Refocosta.
This plant in Villanueva, which was made possible through the supply agreement with the Ecopetrol Group, becomes the first project in a joint portfolio between EDF and Refocosta that considers biomass projects in the country with a potential of up to 200 MW.
"With the incorporation of energy from biomass to Ecopetrol's supply matrix, we contribute to the decarbonisation of our operations and continue to take firm steps for the generation of green hydrogen in the Ecopetrol Group, which requires non-conventional renewable sources for its production. We hope to continue developing projects that position us as leaders of the energy transition in Colombia and the region,' said Felipe Bayon, president of Ecopetrol Group.