Colombia awards Nueva Esperanza - La Virginia transmission project

The Colombia's Mining and Energy Planning Unit (Unidad de Planeación Minero Energética –UPME) has announced it has awarded the Nueva Esperanza - La Virginia transmission project to Alupar Colombia S.A.S.

With an economic offer of US$182 million, the company beat out competition from the following teams:

• Eléctrica Colombia S.A.
• Empresa de Energía de Bogotá, S.A.

The project includes the finance, construction, operation and maintenance of a 500 KV line from the Nueva Esperanza substation in the Department of Cundinamarca to the La Virginia Substation located in the Department of Risaralda and additionally two substations of 500 KV in each one.

The 225km-line will connect the central and southwestern area of ​​the country. The project, which will benefit more than 2 million homes, will cross the departments of Risaralda, Cundinamarca, Tolima, Quindío and Valle del Cauca.

Alupar Colombia is part of the Brazilian Alupar Group, which maintains 26 transmission concession, totaling 6,788 km of transmission lines, in Brazil with a term of 30 years and one lifetime in Colombia.

Jorge Alberto Valencia Marín, director of the UPME, stated:

"On this occasion, the project was awarded to a new player from the market with foreign origin, reflecting the transparency, objectivity and credibility of this scheme of execution of infrastructure at a global level"