ANLA Grants Environmental License for 690 MWp Solar Complex in Cesar; Colombia Reaches 5.9 GW Licensed

Colombia's National Environmental Licensing Authority (ANLA) granted the environmental license for the Turpiales and Los Nogales photovoltaic complex on August 5, in Río de Oro, department of Cesar. The project, developed by Gestión Grupo Solar Colombia S.A.S., carries an authorized capacity of 557.2 MW in alternating current (MWac) and 690.55 MWp in direct current, the ANLA reported.

The license covers two adjacent parks: Turpiales, with 348.0 MWp and 278.6 MWac across 296 hectares, and Los Nogales, with 342.55 MWp and the same nominal alternating current output across 347 hectares, according to the authority's data. The approval fits Colombia's sustained solar licensing pace: between 2022 and 2026 the ANLA cleared 150% more photovoltaic projects than the previous administration, and total authorized solar capacity over that period reached 5.9 GW. pv magazine Latam reported on the project's scope and location in the department of Cesar, in northern Colombia. The announcement reinforces the steady rhythm of non-conventional renewable licensing, a signal to capital seeking deployment markets across Latin America.

The resolution details the environmental obligations attached to the complex: a one-time forestry extraction covering 597.73 hectares, encompassing 111,232 individual trees and 62,380.14 m³ of forest material, and 14 watercourse occupations subject to management and compensation measures. During construction, the project includes 67,189.78 meters of internal roads and access corridors, photovoltaic modules of approximately 710 Wp, and connections to substations. The ANLA stated that the approval is designed to advance new renewable generation capacity in compliance with environmental regulations.

The next milestone is the construction phase for both parks, which must execute the environmental compensation measures authorized in the resolution. The trajectory of licensing activity in Cesar and across the country, with 5.9 GW of solar capacity authorized since 2022, will set the pace for incorporating new renewable generation into Colombia's National Interconnected System.

This article was written with artificial intelligence assistance drawing on verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.