The institutional and business commitment to the reactivation of the Alpha and Beta wind projects in La Guajira was ratified, which include a joint installed capacity of over 490 MW.
During a meeting, Greenwood Energy presented the technical, environmental and social progress of the projects, as well as the roadmap to complete the community relations and prior consultation processes that will allow progress towards their construction.
The company highlighted that, after acquiring the environmental licenses and development rights for the projects, it now has all the authorizations transferred by the ANLA, allowing it to directly lead the new implementation phase.
Currently, the prior consultation processes involve 108 communities and total 130 protocolizations, while approximately 195 social and community meetings are planned to consolidate agreements and guarantee the effective participation of indigenous peoples, including communities of the Arhuaco people.
“The Alpha and Beta projects were abandoned because they lacked sufficient social considerations and ended up being used as examples of the obstacles faced by energy projects in Colombia. However, we learned from that experience and today we can say that we are going to move them forward, building trust with the communities and ensuring that the energy transition has a truly territorial focus,” stated the Minister of Mines and Energy, Edwin Palma Egea.
The minister also highlighted that the reactivation of these initiatives is part of the national government's vision to promote a just energy transition that generates development, employment and opportunities for the communities of La Guajira.
“We are demonstrating that it is indeed possible to develop large-scale energy projects when social dialogue becomes the starting point. La Guajira cannot continue to be the scene of unfinished projects; it must become the heart of Colombia’s energy transition,” Palma added.
During the meeting, progress on the TERRA project was also reviewed, an initiative that seeks to bring sustainable energy solutions to indigenous communities through solar systems and community management models.
“We came to Colombia convinced that Alpha and Beta can become benchmarks for responsible development in Latin America. We have learned from past mistakes and are building a new era based on respect for communities, transparency, and collaborative work with institutions. Today, we are fully confident that these projects will become a reality for La Guajira and for the country,” said Marcos Páez , COO of Greenwood Energy.
The company highlighted that the collaboration between the national government, environmental authorities, territorial entities, and communities has allowed them to regain the necessary trust to move forward with one of the most important renewable energy projects in the country.
“We have truly understood that it is not companies alone, through individual efforts, that can carry out these types of projects. Instead, we are a company that unites, that brings together, that helps to unite the efforts of all national, regional, and international entities, because it is also about generating a process of trust, of generating a new vision for La Guajira,” added Páez.