In the municipality of Taminango, where until a few years ago its residents suffered one of the worst droughts in its history, the project called Naos contemplates an investment of $40.5 billion to generate 10 megawatts that will be added to the installed capacity of Nariño.
Behind this great undertaking is the company from Nariño, Evolti, a leader in the renewable energy sector in Colombia. together with a handful of important businessmen in the region, who with a futuristic vision point to new alternatives in terms of energy generation.
The first Naos 1 farm will be in the Remolino district, where it will avoid the emission of 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide or CO2 per year, which is equivalent to the planting of 25,500 trees, in which $4.5 billion will be invested and will come into operation between July and August of this year.
According to the executive director of Evolti, Juan Manuel Españathe construction of the first solar farm in Nariño represents a very significant milestone, “since it demonstrates to all relevant actors the viability of developing this type of projects in the region.”
He said that it also “sends a crucial message to local authorities so that when they see concrete and profitable projects they get involved in this sector, which also offers considerable benefits in terms of job creation, investment attraction, educational strengthening in areas of innovation and technology, and business modernization.”
The businessman revealed that in the year 2025 Four additional solar farms will be put into operation at a cost of 16,000 million pesos, with the aim of supplying clean energy to almost the entire municipality.
(Also read: John Freddy Gil: the new clues for the murder of the Jamundí councilor).
The remaining five farms are expected to be put into operation in 2026 and will feed the energy supply to neighboring municipalities.
Farms in the Nariño area.
Photo:Private file
Nariño pays a high energy
Nariño currently has a capacity installed 23 megawatts and pays one of the highest energy rates in the country, so increasing the supply of the service means a great challenge, which is why the Evolti company has set the goal of reaching 150 renewable megawatts in the department of Nariño, then seeking to improve the service and sustainability of the region.
The executive director also said that Evolti, in addition to the 10 solar farms in Nariño, has been promoting another 20 farms in other regions of the country.
“Each of these projects has a social focus that implies dignifying the life of the impacted communities through employment and the satisfaction of basic needs, respecting the resources and culture of each territory,” he declared.
In the case of Nariño and in particular Taminango, he stressed that with the first 5 farms it is expected to generate 60 jobs, about which he noted: “they require training, they require support and that in the end they become that fabric of human talent of the region”.
Then he added: “We are planting the seed so that the department and territory of Taminango and the surrounding municipalities can have an energy self-existence in the medium and long term,” and he noted that when energy is generated locally “a region “It can have greater reliability of the energy supply and lower costs in the long term.”
The sustainability component is also key in this initiative, “we are defining those bases so that this is a more sustainable territory in solar energy that does not generate emissions that displace greenhouse gas emissions.”
As a visible and close project, an educational platform will be created for the benefited community, “through strategies working hand in hand with schools and educational institutions in the surrounding villages and municipalities, we seek to connect with young people so that they understand how these projects support this sustainable development and can become promoters of new clean technologies.”
While the official sector in Nariño has not yet implemented similar strategies, the private sector is moving forward and pointing to new energy alternatives aimed at sustainability and development.
MAURICIO DE LA ROSA
SPECIAL FOR THE WEATHER
GRASS
