Colombia hydro generation on the rise

Colombia reported a sharp rise in hydroelectric power generation in April as higher rainfall replenished key catchment areas, new figures show.

Almost 81% of the 188.9GWh/d of total output for the month came from hydroelectric plants, up from 73% in March and less than 70% in February, wholesale power market administrator and grid operator XM said in a bulletin.

Biomass accounted for 0.89% of generation, solar parks 0.22% and wind farms 0.12%. The remaining 18% came from coal or gas-fired power stations, according to XM.

The entity's national dispatch manager, Jaime Zapata, said rainfall at the country's principal reservoirs reached 108.5% of the historical average, up from 79% in March.

Dam levels were at 47% capacity on April 30, compared to 43% a month earlier.

Antioquia, in Colombia's northwest, had the highest volumes with average dam levels of 61.6%, followed by Valle (59.1%), Centro (45.8%), Caribe (37.8%)  and Oriente (26.8%).