On 21 December Colombia is kicking off a four-month prequalification round for its upcoming offshore wind seabed tender – this tender will not only be the country’s first, but the first to launch in all of South America.
The offshore wind tender is for seabed within a predefined area of more than 9000 km2 in total, of which around 1000 km2 are pre-investigated, located off the cities of Barranquilla and Cartagena in the North of Colombia. The area has good wind speeds and potential for a few GWs of fixed-bottom offshore wind.
But looking at a map of offshore wind speeds in northern Colombia, the strongest winds are not entirely in the tender area. Rather, the best wind resources are found north of the tender area, off the city of Santa Marta and around the peninsula of La Guajira.
Particularly the ocean around La Guajira has excellent offshore wind potential, made even more attractive by the large areas with shallow water around the peninsula which make La Guajira a prime destination for fixed-bottom offshore wind projects.
The region around Barranquilla and Cartagena has a more ready market and better grid for offshore wind, which is why the first tender focuses on this area.
However, if the Colombian authorities manage to work with the Indigenous peoples of La Guajira and establish a way forward for renewable energy and transmission projects in La Guajira, the peninsula is a top contender for future offshore wind tenders in Colombia.
Aegir Insights Market Intelligence on Colombia and Auction Intelligence
Want to learn more about the nascent offshore wind market in Colombia and the potential in La Guajira?
Aegir Insights just published updated market reports about Colombia to our clients.
Are you furthermore interested in keeping up to date on the many offshore wind auctions coming around the world – what the volumes will be and when the auctions are starting? Aegir Insights releases a monthly auction intelligence package for subscribers, including an updated auction database and timeline.
Reach out to us here to learn more about Aegir Insights’ market intelligence and our auction intelligence offerings.