By The Rio Times | Created at 2026-07-27 13:02:03 | Updated at 2026-08-06 04:56:20
1 week ago
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Energy Infrastructure · Colombia
Key Facts
—The project. Grupo Energía Bogotá’s Colectora line will connect wind and solar parks in La Guajira to Colombia’s national grid.
—Progress. The government said the project reached about 90% completion by June 2026 and is due to finish in 2026.
—Scale. The 228-kilometer line runs between the Colectora and Cuestecitas substations and requires 1,027 towers.
—Capacity. It is designed to carry about 1,050 megawatts from 15 wind parks and one solar park.
—Investment. The project represents an investment of close to US$300 million.
A transmission line four years in the making is finally nearing the finish in Colombia’s windy northeast. The Colectora project would unlock more than a gigawatt of stalled wind and solar capacity in La Guajira.
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A long-delayed line nears completion
Colombia’s Energy Ministry and Grupo Energía Bogotá said the Colectora transmission project had reached about 90% completion by June 2026 and would be finished this year. The line had faced roughly four years of delays tied to permitting, the pandemic and more than 235 prior-consultation processes with local communities.
The 228-kilometer line connects the Colectora and Cuestecitas substations, with 1,027 towers projected across its two sections. It is one of the largest transmission works underway in the country.
Why La Guajira matters
The Colectora line is designed to carry about 1,050 megawatts from 15 wind parks and one solar park in La Guajira, a peninsula with some of the strongest and most consistent winds in South America. Without the line, those parks cannot deliver their output to Colombia’s National Interconnected System.
The project carries an investment of close to US$300 million. Officials describe it as a backbone linking the country’s renewable frontier to demand centers elsewhere in Colombia.
What completion would mean
Finishing the line would remove a key bottleneck that has held back Colombia’s wind build-out for years. Enlaza, the Grupo Energía Bogotá unit running the works, said the connected wind parks would enter operation one and a half to two years after construction is completed.
The rollout is central to Colombia’s goal of diversifying an electricity mix long dependent on hydropower, which leaves the grid exposed during dry spells and El Niño. Adding Guajira wind is meant to improve reliability and lower emissions over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Colectora project?
It is a 228-kilometer transmission line built by Grupo Energía Bogotá to connect wind and solar parks in La Guajira to Colombia’s national grid.
How far along is it?
The government said the project reached about 90% completion by June 2026 and is expected to be finished during 2026.
How much capacity will it carry?
The line is designed to move about 1,050 megawatts from 15 wind parks and one solar park.
Sources
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