Colombia Adds 698.2 MW of New Generation in Third Quarter, Including 39 Solar Projects

Colombia added 39 solar photovoltaic generation projects to the National Interconnected System (SIN) during the third quarter of 2026, according to the report published by XM, the operator of the Colombian power system. These facilities accounted for 92.9% of the 42 generation projects that began commercial operation between July and September, consolidating the prominence of this technology among new additions.

In total, the 42 projects added 698.2 MW of new capacity, distributed across 39 solar installations, two thermal generation plants, and one small hydroelectric plant. The operator did not specify in its statement the individual or aggregate capacity corresponding exclusively to the photovoltaic projects.

The report, published on October 30, also noted that the net effective capacity of the Colombian power system reached 22,196 MW as of the end of September, while solar energy accounted for 11.7% of the generation mix, according to data released by XM.

Solar energy accounts for 39 of the 42 new generation projects

The quarterly balance confirms that photovoltaic technology recorded the highest number of projects entering commercial operation during the analyzed period.

Of the 42 facilities added, 39 corresponded to solar energy, accounting for approximately nine out of every ten new generation projects. The remaining three were distributed between two thermal power plants and a small hydroelectric plant.

The additions include various modes of participation in the electrical system, such as distributed generation, self-generation, and conventional generation plants within the Colombian regulatory framework.

XM detailed that, of the 42 projects, 28 corresponded to distributed generation, three to self-generators, and eleven to generation plants, of which three are centrally dispatched.

Distributed generation comprises smaller-scale facilities located near consumption centers, while self-generators produce electricity primarily to meet their own needs and, under applicable regulatory conditions, can deliver surplus power to the grid.

The addition of new solar projects under these schemes reflects the involvement of facilities of varying sizes in the expansion of the power system.

Colombia adds 698.2 MW of new generation in the third quarter, with 39 solar projects

Colombia accumulates 128 new generation plants in the first nine months

Beyond the quarterly results, XM reported that between January and September 2026, 128 new generation plants came into operation, with an aggregate capacity of 1,038.85 MW.

This figure corresponds to the total of all generation technologies added during the first nine months of the year, not exclusively to renewable projects.

In parallel, the operator recorded ten transmission projects that came into operation during the same period, aimed at strengthening the country's electrical infrastructure.

The increase in generation capacity is occurring in a context of energy matrix diversification, in which the incorporation of new photovoltaic facilities increases the presence of this technology in the National Interconnected System.

According to XM, the entry of generation and transmission projects contributes to meeting the growth in electricity demand and improving the operating conditions of the system.

Another 133 solar projects were in initial testing

One of the most relevant data points in the report pertains to projects that had not yet reached the commercial operation stage.

As of September 30, 2026, Colombia recorded 140 generation projects in initial testing, with a total capacity of 1,147.97 MW.

Of this group, 133 projects were solar photovoltaic, equivalent to 95% of the facilities in this phase. The remainder comprised three wind projects, three thermal projects, and one hydro project.

Initial testing constitutes a stage prior to commercial operation and allows for the verification of compliance with the technical, regulatory, and operational requirements established for the connection of the facilities.

The high share of solar technology among the projects in testing demonstrates its weight within the facilities advancing toward commercial operation at the close of the quarter.

However, the 1,147.97 MW represents the combined capacity of the 140 projects in testing, and therefore cannot be attributed exclusively to photovoltaic projects nor considered as capacity already operating commercially.

Five transmission projects strengthen the electrical infrastructure

XM's balance also records the commissioning of five transmission projects during the third quarter, three of which were aimed at reinforcing the National Transmission System (STN) and two related to regional infrastructure.

Among the notable actions is the transfer of FACTS devices from the 220 kV Santa Marta-Termocol link to the 220 kV Termocol-Guajira line, carried out by ISA Intercolombia on August 28.

Additionally, Empresas Públicas de Medellín declared a 500 kV transformation bay operational at the Nueva Esperanza substation, corresponding to project UPME 03-2023.

For its part, Enel Colombia incorporated the second 500/115 kV transformer at Nueva Esperanza, an action aimed at strengthening supply to the Eastern area, improving energy transfer, and reducing constraints on existing infrastructure.

In the regional sphere, the second 66 kV transformer at the La Marina substation, developed by CaribeMar de la Costa, and the expansion of the 110 kV Caucheras substation, managed by Empresas Públicas de Medellín, also came into operation.

These works are part of the expansion and strengthening of the electrical infrastructure that accompanies the addition of new generation capacity.

With 39 solar projects added during the third quarter and another 133 in testing as of the end of September, XM's data positions photovoltaic technology as the main driver of the new generation facilities reported by the Colombian operator.