Electricity is an essential element in our life, because it is necessary for the social and economic development of nations. With this purpose, in 1997, Enel - Emgesa was born, a company dedicated to the generation of energy, which during its 20 years of operation has been committed to sustainable development. The company has been recognized for its efficient and transparent management, for being a solid, reliable and environmentally friendly energy operator. Currently, it is part of the Enel Group, one of the leading energy companies in the world, with nearly 64 million final consumers in more than 30 countries around the world.
With the premise of being able to produce the energy that the country needs, to contribute to its progress and development, we have grown steadily to meet the growing demand. In the year of our foundation we had an installed generating capacity of 2,503MW; Today we have reached 3,467MW, which we put day to day at the service of Colombians.
For the most part, the energy that we deliver to the country is clean, since it is produced from hydroelectric power plants where the water resource is used to generate energy through movement. We have 11 hydroelectric and 2 thermal power plants that generate 21% of Colombia’s energy, making us a key link in the energy self-sufficiency of our country.
GREAT PROJECTS THAT GENERATE PROGRESS
In our vision to offer more and better energy solutions that guarantee the stability of the Colombian electricity system, we built one of the largest Enel Group projects in the region and one of the largest hydroelectric power plants in the country, El Quimbo.
The construction of its works included the municipalities of Altamira, El Agrado, Garzón, Gigante, Paicol and Tesalia, which began in 2010 until around November 2015, when the generation of energy began. The Quimbo plant has one of the largest reservoirs in the country: 8,250 hectares, 55 kilometers long, and a storage capacity of 3,200 cubic hectometres. It has a dam 151 meters high, an auxiliary dike 66 meters high and a four-door spillway that allows controlling the reservoir level, in addition to the loading tunnels and the bottom structure to supply the required ecological flow.
More than 6,500 people were part of the team that made possible the lifting of this great project, with an investment of USD 1,231 million, to have an installed capacity at the start of its operation of 400 MW, and an average generation of 2,216 GWh /year.
After five years of construction, and ten years after the feasibility studies began, today the Quimbo hydroelectric plant, together with the Betania plant, contribute 8% of the national demand.
ADVANCING ON THE PATH OF SUSTAINABILITY
We understand the importance of proper environmental management, which is why as an essential factor in our operation, we take into account the impacts that we can cause to the environment and its resources, designing strategies that allow us to protect and preserve the biodiversity of our ecosystems.
In this way, we develop initiatives such as the Renace Forest, with which we contribute to the preservation of 690 hectares of high Andean forest, in which to date we have planted more than 30,000 native species trees. Additionally, we have encouraged the participation of communities and other interest groups in the care of these resources, through organizing ecological and environmental education days, aimed at promoting and building conservation awareness.
Also, in the framework of the construction of the Quimbo Hydroelectric Plant, we implemented the largest-scale Ecological Restoration Project in the country, which aims to revegetate about 11,079 hectares of Tropical Dry Forest in the department of Huila, to contribute to the maintenance of the biodiversity of the territory.
With the support of the Natura Foundation, in April 2014 we began the pilot restoration project on 140 hectares, with which we identified the best action strategies for the total reconstruction of the forest. From this initiative, we built the first Research Center in the country, where we have reproduced more than 115,000 plants of 62 native species that will ensure the success of the restoration, and will allow the proper assistance for plant succession. Also part of this program is the first Habitat Rehabilitation Plan carried out in the country, with which we seek to offer new areas of refuge, food and rest for wildlife that has been rescued in the vicinity of El Quimbo, so we selected and prioritized 300 of the restored hectares, to study the process of readaptation of animal species in these new spaces, to ensure their proper development.
As for the welfare of the communities, we have contributed to the economic and social growth of the people, through multiple actions aimed at bringing progress to the regions. More than 30% of the budget allocated to the Quimbo Hydroelectric Plant was invested in the construction of the longest viaduct in the country, in the restoration of 11 kilometers of roads that connect and facilitate communications between the municipalities. We also installed almost 12.5 kilometers of electrical networks, and 5 wastewater treatment plants with 6 loading ports, which improve the quality of life of these communities.
20 years transforming lives through energy!