Colombia's TGI bids for 8 gas projects

Transportadora de Gas Internacional (TGI) has submitted bids for eight natural gas infrastructure projects as part of Colombia’s plan to boost domestic gas supply, according to general manager Jorge Henao.

"We expect the national government, through the energy planning unit and the ministry, to award [the projects] in the coming weeks," Henao told newspaper Portafolio.

Henao said the proposals form part of a broader package of 12 initiatives outlined by the mines and energy ministry aimed at expanding system capacity and addressing a projected supply deficit.

The projects would require investments of around US$500 million and include upgrades in transportation, compression, regasification and network expansion, Henao said.

TGI's bids entail 198 km of pipelines and the addition of 441 million cubic feet per day of bidirectional capacity.

A planned regasification plant in La Guajira is a central part of the proposals, requiring estimated investment of about US$150 million and initial capacity of up to 250 million cubic feet per day, he said.

"It is important to understand that TGI’s intention is to carry out the infrastructure projects the country needs to continue supplying the gas Colombians require with a long-term vision," Henao said. 

He added that project execution would hinge on their classification under the IPAT framework, a government mechanism that fast-tracks priority energy infrastructure projects.

(The original version of this content was written in English)