In March 2023, in Bogotá, Enerfín signed a financing agreement amounting to 57 million dollars for the construction of the company’s first photovoltaic plant in Colombia. The loan has been granted by a pool of local banks, composed of Banco de Bogotá and Banco de Occidente, both belonging to Grupo Aval, which will help to finance setting up the Portón del Sol solar photovoltaic project (SPP).

This SPP is located in the municipality of La Dorada, in the department of Caldas, in the centre of the country. It is currently under construction. It will have a capacity of 129 MWp and will produce around 263 GWh annually, avoiding the release of 132,480 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.

This project has turned Enerfín into a producer and manager of electricity from renewable energy sources in Colombia. José Castellanos Ybarra, General Manager at Enerfín, declared, “We are doubly satisfied with this project. Firstly, for having achieved Enerfín’s first investment in Colombia and secondly, for having secured this loan to finance a large percentage of said investment. Furthermore, Grupo Aval’s trust in Enerfín shows, once again, the interest that investors have in this type of project and reinforces the appeal of our group as a significant international player in the sector.”

In turn, the implementation of this large solar power project involves the commitment to care for the environment, biodiversity, its surroundings and the people living there. So much so that it includes a centre with a team of veterinarians and biologists to care for and relocate animals that may be at risk in the area.

Currently, now that the project area has been established, the herpetologists’ work is essential: these are biologists specialising in amphibians (toads, frogs, salamanders, etc.) and reptiles (lizards, non-venomous snakes, vipers, etc.), as there are several species on the site.

In recent weeks, during the construction work for the SPP Portón del Sol, several specimens have been found of a species known locally as the “babilla” (Spectacled Caiman or Caiman Crocodilus). These specimens have been rescued and relocated so that they will not be harmed in any way. This species is going to be the Portón del Sol mascot.

Ecological rehabilitation is also under way to increase the presence of non-vascular epiphytes (lichens, mosses and liverworts). Epiphytic plants grow on tress and are important because they collect and retain rainwater. Furthermore, they provide a great variety of habitats and resources that are used by different groups of animals, such as ants, arthropods, amphibians, etc., thereby protecting biodiversity.

To this purpose, Enerfín has planted different native tree species over an area of 3.82 hectares, so that in a few years’ time there will be a forest of host trees for these organisms.

In total, 2,268 trees have been planted, involving 30 species and 17 botanical families that are native to this area of Colombia. Among the most noteworthy are: the ant tree (Triplaris Americana), the white olive (Terminalia Amazonia) and the golden trumpet tree (Handroanthus Chrysanthus). Additionally, over the next 3 years, Enerfín will conduct maintenance and monitoring to ensure the survival of the trees.

Portón del Sol will become operational around 2024.