By Editorial EL PILÓN
This Friday, in the auditorium Pablo Oliveros Marmolejo of the Andean Areathe forum was held ‘Cesar’s bet: towards an energy power department’in which a dozen speakers spoke about the potential of the department during the energy transition.
In that line, Luz Estella Murgas, Naturgas president, pointed out that gas is key to closing the social gaps in the department and the country. “Natural gas is the cheapest energy source in Colombia. It represents a saving of $72,000 pesos per month for Colombian households if we compare it with the liquefied gas that is sold in cylinders”Duran noted.
Durán pointed out that in the department there are still 38,300 households thatThey cook with firewood and toxic waste, so it is important to maintain the exploratory activity long-term through current and future contracts. “The development of our reserves will help create jobs in our region.”
COAL CONTRIBUTIONS
During his participation, the president of Drummond Energy, alberto garciapointed out that “The transition is not the suspension of one activity by another”. “Coal is the second line of the Colombian economy and the first in Cesar. We contribute to the year 15 billion pesos, That’s a tax reform.” recounted the president of Drummond Energy.
He also argued that coal should be part of the transition. “The vision and the task is to reduce our carbon footprint. Several years, Drummond has developed a program natural gas exploration in the Cesar-Rancheria basin. We hope that Cesar will be a great producer of natural gas”, added.
The multinational will also enter the alternative energy market. According to García, for this year they hope that a plant with 50 megawatts of solar power for self-consumption. In 2024 they expect one of 160 megawatts. “By 2050 we want to achieve carbon neutrality in our operation”, explained.
WHERE SHOULD CAESAR GO?
The forum also focused on proposing alternatives for Cesar to be a Leading department within the energy transition. At that point, the Drummond president did a little ‘claim’ o Suggestion to the business sector of the department: investment must be made to cover the industrial demand of the companies.
“The big industries cover their demands in other cities. Mining and oil operations need industrial services, and since they are not available in Cesar, they look elsewhere.”held.
For his part, the Vice President of Operations and Innovation of Promigas, Alejandro Villalbaspoke of massifying biomethane.
“We believe that Cesar has potential in biomethane. We are talking about the livestock sector producing 8 million tons of waste per year, of which 7 million They are from bovine activity. Those 8 million tons that Cesar produces can be converted into 40 million cubic feet of biogas per day”Villalba pointed out.
With that, the expert points out, the demand for Cesar could be met and exported. “Biomethane is one of the green gases, produced sustainably through biomass. Today Doña Juana (sanitary landfill) produces almost 2 megawatts to root of urban waste.
Villalba also recommended walking towards the stabled livestock. “For many farmers in Germany, milk is a by-product. With 5.000 o 6.000 Heads of cattle on stabled farms produce 1.3 or 1.5 million cubic feet of methane gas per day.”
Within this proposal, the president of Drummond added that there is also the possibility of produce nitrogenous fertilizerswhich have gas and coal as raw materials.
It should be noted that nitrogenous fertilizers are used to favor the plant growth, “increase the leaf area and favor the activation of the cells in charge of photosynthesis”. One of the most popular is urea.
TRAINING
Maria del Pilar Jaramillo, of Institutional Relations of Enel Colombia, recommended beginning to prepare human talent for the energy industry of the future.
By 2050, an increase in the alternative generation capacity five times greater than today. This will demand redistribution systems. The department can prepare. All those people who today derive their income from energies that tend to leave, could have projects in product supply terms that renewable energies will demand”Jaramillo explained.
Alejandro Villalbafrom Promigas, recalled that the company is working on experiments with hydrogen, which will mark the future of energy. “It would be sad if we developed new technologies at Cesar and professionals from another country come to do that job for us.”
15-YEAR PLAN
From the national government, the spokesperson was the representative to the Chamber David Racero. The congressman acknowledged that the Government is still not clear about the timing of the energy transition, hence the differences in the speeches.
That’s why he thinks he National Development Plan will be key to knowing more clearly the amount and How the transition will be implemented.
“I asked the president for clarity about the transition and that is why I have a message for Cesar: if we are going to make the transition, the heart of that transition will be the Caesar department. Without transition in Cesar, there is no transition in the country “argued Racero.
The congressman also detailed the plan to 15 years that the government has for energy and economic transition from the department of Cesar.
“There is a 15-year strategic plan, where private companies, the government, and the community are involved, to carry out the transition process, to get out, little by little, of the carbon economies. That plan involves about 2 billion dollars”, added.
Likewise, he said that the minister was proposed to build a Conpes to plan the route. “What the minister did is seek cooperation. I think we should draw a meeting route in the department of Cesar, so that the Government takes note and generates commitments”.
Finally, Congressman Racero confirmed that President Gustavo Petro’s decision is not open new minesin reference to the mining titles that delivered Prodeco in 2021.