Gecelca, historically Colombia’s largest coal-fired power producer with a 709 MW net installed capacity across its Termoguajira (275 MW) and Gecelca 3 (434 MW) plants, is set to progressively phase out coal operations. The planned transition aligns with national policies to accelerate decarbonization and expand renewable generation capacity. The 200 MW solar project is expected to directly benefit over 150,000 families, with government communications indicating the full 650 MW portfolio could eventually serve up to 500,000 households.
Energy Minister Edwin Palma Egea emphasized the initiative as marking the end of an energy model that led to high prices in the Caribbean region. The creation of Gecelca Solar is framed as a concrete step toward President Gustavo Petro’s commitment to ensure families do not face trade-offs between basic necessities and electricity payments. Beyond capacity expansion, Gecelca Solar will facilitate resource allocation for further renewable projects, support measures to reduce energy poverty, and promote more equitable tariffs.
This transition also responds to Colombia’s broader goals of clean energy deployment, building on strong solar PV growth following 1.6 GW installed in 2024, and recent commissioning of utility-scale solar plants by major private actors. Gecelca Solar’s launch represents a critical component in governmental strategy to diversify the national energy matrix, address regional disparities, and promote sustainable energy infrastructure with a focus on large-scale solar development.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
