• A 4,890-panel grid spread out over 22,000 square meters in Santander de Quilichao township.
• Erected by C.E.O., ‘Compañía Energética de Occidente’, utility company on Colombina-owned land
• + 2,716,000 kWh/year for Colombina’s Cookie Plant operation

 
Santander de Quilichao, November 2020.
The President of Colombia, Ivan Duque, attended the inauguration of Colombina’s self-generating solar farm erected by C.E.O., ‘Compañía Energética de Occidente’, and the Colombina Business Group. The 4,890-panel grid will help operate Colombina’s Cookie Plant and is located in Santander de Quilichao, Department of Cauca.
 
President Duque toured the solar farm with Omar Serrano, General Manager of C.E.O., and with Cesar Caicedo, Executive President of the Colombina Business Group. During their tour, Caicedo talked about the particulars of the overall infrastructure, the progressive environmental benefits it will provide and the example it sets of just how sustainable solutions are indeed able to generate industrial operating benefits.

“C.E.O. is proud to have contributed to the sustainable development of the Department of Cauca with this solar farm. We broke ground on February 21^st of this year with a 6-billion COP investment that is slated to significantly cut CO₂ emissions”,  said Omar Serrano, General Manager at C.E.O.

The C.E.O.-built solar complex spans a 22,000-square meter plot owned by Colombina. It will generate over 2,716,000 kWh/year, which will amount to 20% of Colombina’s Cookie Plant annual energy needs. This will cut CO₂ emissions by over 1000 tons per year.

“This solar farm will tap into our vast potential for generating photovoltaic energy from our sun. We will be able to achieve greater operational efficiency at our Cookie Plant, ensure energy supply and efficiently contribute to GHG reduction. This project fills us with pride because it reflects our on-going efforts to operate sustainably and responsibly within our environment: it inspires us to continue bolstering our corporate practices hand-in-hand with key allies”, said Cesar Caicedo, Executive President of the Colombina Business Group.
 
This solar farm was the combined endeavor of 2 companies dedicated to non-stop stimulation of environmental-custodianship projects, as they seek out viable sources of renewable energy.
 
"It is precisely this type of project that set an example of how government policies on renewable energies are truly able to promote the nation’s electrical-grid diversification and therefore the sustainable reactivation of Colombia. Every day, we install more solar-energy capacity. This progress further advanced our Energy Transition we started in 2018 - recognized by international organizations, such as the World Economic Forum and the World Energy Council ", said The Minister of Mines and Energy, Diego Mesa.