The department of Cauca took a transcendental step in its purpose of advancing towards the energy transition hand in hand with women and young people as installers of photovoltaic systems.
Last Saturday, June 15, the document was officially signed that authorizes the beginning of the actions that will be responsible for giving life to Phase 1 of the Las Marías Solar Farm, an ambitious energy solution which involves the use of solar energy with high technology, to produce 99.5 megawatts of renewable and clean energy in Cauca.
In this way, the agreement ‘Framework for the Comprehensive Training of Women and Youth from the South of the Department of Cauca as Installers of Photovoltaic Systems’ was crystallized, which will also mark the beginning of the structuring of the Solar Farm.
In addition, the training of 80 mothers who are heads of households and 20 young people will be advanced in ‘Installation and maintenance of solar panels’, which will allow them to be incorporated into the workforce in the construction and operational stages of the project.
Signing of the agreement that will allow you to advance Phase 1 of the project.
Photo:Particular
“We are feeling caucanos, idiots. This is a great step, a sign that if you build and work every day, dreams can come true. This is the most ambitious project in southwestern Colombia. The Las Marías Solar Farm is going to help Cauca flourish,” commented William Hernández, legal representative of the Las Marías Solar Farm.
At the same time, he highlighted that said department “has wonderful potential, we have identified that to link many wills that want to contribute.”
He also specified that this initiative will not only provide energy to Cauca, but to the entire country, which is why one of its purposes is to strengthen the capabilities of the Cauca population.
“We must guarantee that these projects are environmentally friendly and that, in addition, there is a leap that breaks technological, environmental and educational gaps. For this, what better than count on SENA, the entity that is in the hearts of Colombians. From Bolívar (Cauca) we have started a model that we hope will be replicated at the national level,” added Hernández.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Bolívar (Cauca), Sandra Rodríguez, the project and the impacts it will have on women and young people in an area of the country that has been stigmatized by violence.
“As mayor I am pleased, happy, taking into account that the person you see here, this woman, comes from the El Barrial village, located in the district of Los Rastrojos. Knowing this splendid news of which we are part, is very valuable for more than 30 thousand peasants that I represent in my municipality. In Cauca they relate us more to the bad things than to the good, and we in Cauca are good people, people who want to get ahead,” said Mayor Rodríguez.
This initiative will be located less than a kilometer from the El Zaque substation, which will be key for a rapid delivery of energy and can be optimally added to the National Interconnected System (SIN).
The project has government support, as announced by the Secretary of Agriculture and delegated by the governor of Cauca, Jorge Macías, to be a participant in the signing of the agreement.
Work at the Las Marías Solar Farm.
Photo:Particular
“These are gestures of peace, Cauca needs actions that strengthen our community, show the other side, how beautiful we have. In Bolívar (Cauca) we are going to have clean energy, energy of the future for our municipality and department. In the government we are focused on the energy transition, it will be the task of the entire institutional framework to contribute to it,” the official indicated.
The role of SENA
The delegate for SENA Cauca, Sergio Fabricio López, maintains that the institution will have a leading role, because it will be in charge of training the personnel who will operate the Las Marías Solar Farm.
We like that alongside the energy transition they are also making a social transition
“Las Marías will have a great impact on the community, because in Cauca the value of kilowatts is very high, more than 1,000 pesos costs each kilowatt“This project will reduce the value of rates and will have a great impact on the development of the department and the south of the country,” López commented.
During the signing of the agreement, Luis Fernando Velasco, who connected virtually, maintains that the National Government is betting on the energy transition.
“If we produce clean energy we not only save the world, but we create development possibilities for our country. For this reason, we have talked with the president about the project that you are advancing. We want to accompany them in the next few days in the area, we like that alongside the energy transition they are also making a social transition; prepare 100 women and young people, to people of the region to work on the project, it is good news for the country,” Minister Velasco emphasized.
The challenges of the project
The PMO of the Granja Solar Las Marías project, Jhon Eduar Rojas Muñoz, states that from the moment they became involved in this initiative they began to take on challenges. One of them, link two multinationals to promote technology.
“For us it is a challenge from the moment we were linked to the project from the engineering area, to carry out such an important commitment to the development of the department of Cauca, such as the design of this farm due to the dimensions it represents. Therefore, we link to project to market leaders on the photovoltaic solar issue, on panel issues to Longi and on the issue of investors to Huawei, as the largest suppliers at this time in solar farms developed around the world,” he explained.
It should be noted that the project is aligned with the goals set by the National Government through its National Development Plan, and that it marks the route for the energy transition.
