HMV pushes on with small hydro in Colombia

Colombian company HMV Ingenieros expects to begin construction on two 20MW small hydro power projects in January 2014, according to Lina María Arango, HMV director of hydro power. The 20MW San Bartolomè and 20MW Oibita run-of-the-river projects are planned for the Oibita river in Santander department, Arango told attendees at BNamericas' 7th Andean Energy Summit in Cartagena, Colombia. In January 2015 HMV plans to start construction of the 20MW hydro projects San Marcos (Cundinamarca department on the Blanco river), Santa Rosa and Altamira (Santander, Lenguaruco), and Aguabonita (Caldas on Guarinó). In the eastern part of the department of Antioquia, construction has begun on the 20MW El Popal, 44.4MW San Miguel and twin 20MW El Molino and San Matías hydro projects. El Popal is expected to enter commercial operations as early as October 2013, San Miguel October 2015 and El Molino and San Matías December 2015. The projects will inject power to the national grid via the 110kV San Lorenzo substation. The projects are being developed by HMV under contract by a fund made up of Century Energy and the Canadian pension fund AIMCO, via The Cornerstone Group. In Peru HMV has formed a 50-50 joint venture with Colombian state generator Isagen to develop hydro projects. The JV will request the definitive concession for the 20MW Aynaproject in southern Peru in the next four months, according to Arango. The JV is currently conducting feasibility studies on a 215MW project in northern Peru called Cedropampa, which is made up of three stations.