The Colombian government announced that a temporary agreement to export electricity to Venezuela through Cuestecitas Cuatricentenario interconnection has been extended until the end of the year.
Mr Carlos Rodado Noriega mines and energy minister said that the extension was necessary due to Venezuela's ongoing electricity crisis that has led to frequent power outages in 21 of that country's 24 states. He added that "These conditions require our help by supplying energy to our neighbor."
The Cuestecitas Cuatricentenario interconnection is located in the northern department of La Guajira, which borders Zulia state in Venezuela, and has a capacity of 150MWh. Since June 13th 2011, it has provided Venezuela with 22.89GWh. Colombia had not exported electricity to Venezuela through this interconnection since 2008.
Isagen, Colombia's third largest power generator which has exclusive rights to sell the electricity to Venezuela, formalized the extension which will run until December 31st 2011.
Colombia is also exporting electricity to Venezuela from Norte de Santander department through the San Mateo Corozo interconnection which is operated on the Colombian side by state owned distributor Cens. Exports this year from the San Mateo Corozo interconnection have reached 46.59GWh.
Though Caracas has been mostly spared, power outages have affected thousands of businesses, schools, hospitals and neighborhoods across Venezuela, hurting industrial and agricultural production and generating criticism of President Mr Hugo Chavez's government.
State owned power utility Corpoelec said Venezuela has a national power supply deficit of 3,000MWh at peak consumption periods. The government has blamed the blackouts on everything from a 2010 draught, to consumer waste, to sabotage of electricity plants though no evidence of foul play has been presented.
Mr Jose Manuel Aller, an electricity expert at Simon Bolivar University in Caracas, claims the problems stem from poor decisions by the government and its failure to invest in the electricity grid.
The Guri hydroelectric complex in eastern Venezuela, for example, generates about 70% of Venezuela's electricity. Aller says not all of that power reaches the rest of the country because of the poor state of transmission lines.
Mr Aller said that the government has also failed to build enough new oil and natural gas powered thermoelectric plants. Most of the thermoelectric plants now in operation are at least 30 years old, often break down and are operating at only 40pc of their capacity.
By contrast, Colombia has an excess of power capacity due, in part, to torrential rains brought on by La Niña weather phenomenon. Hydropower exports will help Colombia reduce reservoir levels which, due to almost nonstop downpours, reached record levels in May. That forced dam operators to release water, contributing to what was already widespread flooding in Colombia.
(Sourced from www.argusmedia.com)
