We Take Care of the Planet
Energy-Resource Management
With our energy resources management, we promote energy generation with alternatives sources, such as the sun and the wind.
GRI (103-1) Energy generation, a fundamental basis for the sustainable development of our planet, has allows us to transform the Company’s Strategy and consolidate generation from renewable sources as our greatest growth commitment and to remain over the time. This is how the protection and conservation of water resources, the large-scale use of the wind and solar potential of the territories, and the use of low-emission fuels are Celsia’s purpose, taking care of every detail, assessing the possible impacts on climate change and natural resources, as well as the risks that they entail in the development of our operations.
GRI (103-2) We have an Environmental Policy, We have an Environmental Policy, which describes our commintment with the rational use of natural resources and the conservation of the environment, promoting the use of low-carbon energy and diversifying our range of products and services to improve people’s quality of life. Within its guidelines, the Policy contemplates the conservation of hydrographic watershed in the areas of influence, as well as initiatives for the efficient use of water and the assessment of water risk in our operations, the measurement of the water footprint, and the management of projects to improve the water supply for the different uses within the value chain.
In 2021, we optimize 237.3 Mm3 of water as a result of the increased efficiency in the turbines at the Alto and Bajo Anchicayá, Prado and Río Cali Plants, which allowed us to generate energy with less use of hydraulic resources and the implementation of new technologies in the inlet valves in Calima and Alto Anchicayá, with which we minimized hydraulic losses due to leaks. In this sense, we exceeded the goal set for savings of 124 Mm3 in the accumulated hydraulic resource for 2021.
Water consumption in the Organization was reduced by more than 16%, due to the fact that thermal-energy generation was considerably lower in Central America, where the Bahía Las Minas Thermal Power Plant in Panama is in the process of being closed.
In 2021, with the ReverdeC Program, we planted more than 3,000,000 trees in Colombia, contributing to the conservation of water resources.
Water-Resource Management
Noteworthy the fact that the generation of hydroelectricity makes a non-consumptive use of water, translating into a lower consumption of this liquid, despite the volumes captures and that the data recorded as use corresponds primarily to domestic consumption and the cleaning in the assets.
Water Risks
We assessed the risk of water scarcity with the methods of the World Council for Sustainable Development, through the Water Global Tool, which allows the Company to identify those sites that are in areas of water stress and monitor the availability of water in the basins where our facilities are located.
All our operations have efficient use and saving water plans, focused on the protection of water sources and the control of losses and leaks.
Our ReverdeC Program has allowed us to carry out conservation actions with the implementation of measures to restore hydrographic basins in more than 4,900 Hectares (Has.) between 2016 and 2021, with the planting of more than 8.8 million trees in the Departments of Antioquia, Valle and Tolima.
We continue implementing the hydro-climatic and environmental network to measure the system variables, with the aim of acquiring historical series that allow us to model the phenomena; these results will serve as the basis for decision making
At Celsia, we do not extract or consume water in places with water scarcity or extreme scarcity.
GRI (103-3)
Thanks to the operational closure of the Colon Thermal Power Plant, coal consumption was eliminated and a 60% decrease in gasoline consumption was achieved.
Gas consumption for generation decreased by 38%, compared to the previous year, due to the dynamics of the dispatch operation.
The consumption of energy imported from the network decreased by 44% for Colombia.
In 2021, there was an increase in diesel and generation bunker, since the Colón Thermal Complex was operational to cover the demand in Panama; however, we had a 23% decrease in diesel for generation and 14% for bunker, compared to 2019.
Energy Management
At Celsia, we do not consume steam/heating/cooling energy or other (non-renewable) energy.
New Challenges
These are our short-, medium- and long-term challenges:
- To continue to implement efficient use and saving water plans that have been approved by the environmental authorities in Colombia and formulate the energy-saving procedure in the Organization.
- To execute the resources assigned for social and environmental projects in the Amaime, Alto Tuluá, Bajo Tuluá, Cucuana and Hidromontañitas Hydroelectric Plants, which are registered in carbon markets.
- To implement the El Tesorito Thermal Power Plant with an installed capacity of 200 MW, with efficient low-emission combustion technology.
- To build and operate the Acacia II Wind Farm in Colombia, with a capacity of 96 MW, through which the Company’s Generation Matrix will be diversified, strengthening businesses with low emissions.
- To construct and implement of the Camelia, Camelia I and II Wind Farms and the Escobal Solar Farm with a generation capacity of 100 MW in the Department of Tolima.
- The Toluviejo 220 kV project will help reduce the restrictions on the National Interconnected System (SIN, in Spanish) and will avoid unattended demand in the future. Additionally, it will improve reliability and contribute to increasing energy security, since it may allow the connection of new generation projects from the Non-Conventional Renewable Energy Sources (FNCER, in Spanish), which are in the area of influence of the project.
- Advance in the construction of meteorological stations and in the implementation of meteorological models in the basins where we have hydroelectric plants.
- Incorporate between 350 and 500 additional MW of renewable energy to our Generation Matrix.
- To build and implement the Celsia Solar Chicamocha and Celsia Solar Valledupar Farms, with a capacity of 100 MW for each farm, in the Departments of Santander and Cesar, respectively.
- Plant 16,000,000 trees by 2025, through the ReverdeC
- Achieve a Generation Matrix with at least 25% non-conventional renewable energy sources.
Glossary
Energy-Generation Matrix: This is the X-ray of how the generation portfolio is balanced among different sources, in our case, hydro, wind, solar and thermal.
Energy Resources: The means or resources that nature offers us and from which, through an industrial process, we obtain some form of energy that can be directly used by the consumer or by some productive activity.
Non-Consumptive Use: The use of water without consumption of the resource; it is returned to the environment from which it was extracted.
