Bosques de Los Llanos Project, developed and managed by Trina Solar, will reduce CO2 emissions by 58,350 tons a year and provide power to 71,400 households.
Trina Solar Co., Ltd has made a significant contribution to the second- largest solar energy project in Colombia – 2,250 sets of trackers and 200,000 pieces of modules.
The Bosques de Los Llanos 1 Solar Park is the first non-recourse project finance closed for a Solar PV plant in Colombia. So highly regarded is the project that the country’s President, Iván Duque Márquez, cut the ribbon in an opening ceremony in the solar park at the end of January.
The Bosque de Los Llanos Solar Park project is part of an agreement between Trina Solar and Matrix Renewables that calls for a power plant to be set up in the city of Puerto Gaitán, Department of Meta. The solar park has installed a capacity of 82 MWp, which will be able to generate 153 GWh electricity a year, equivalent to the energy consumed by 71,400 households. It will also help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 58,350 tons a year.
The project is being undertaken by Trina Solar and is being built in three phases, the first two of which are already operating and have been connected to the national grid, and the third of which will be launched in March.
To capture the maximum amount of sunlight throughout the year, Trina Solar installed 2,250 sets of TrinaTracker Vanguard series units. The company said it opted for Vanguard Trackers because of how efficient and reliable they have proven to be in two solar farms in Mexico that have similar environmental characteristics.
The Vanguard trackers are also regarded as highly versatile and adaptable for use in many kinds of projects and terrains. They are free of lubricants and have passed the wind tunnel test by RWDI, the world’s top wind tunnel agency. With its horizontal single-axis, the Vanguard tracker has a single-row with more updated and reliable slew driver, which permits full access between rows and enables flexible and high-density site layouts. It comes with several adjustment points to accommodate a broad range of rammed piles and any potential installation misalignment.
In addition to the trackers, more than 200,000 pcs of highly reliable high-power mono PERC dual glass modules with over 20% of maximum efficiency have been installed in the Bosque de Los Llanos Solar Park. The perfect adaptation of Trina Solar's modules and the tracker system can reduce the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and provide customers with high reliability, high-power generation, and higher returns.
The Bosques de Los Llanos Solar Park phase I has created close to 1,000 jobs for locals - since each plant demanded more than 300 workers. Previously, in the region of Puerto Gaitan, oil & gas were the main sources of energy. However, with the construction of the solar park, Colombians have learned how to work with new and prospective technologies and techniques. The government is also investing in solar energy in order to switch from polluting sources to sustainable ones.
Those building the solar farm grappled with several challenges, including Covid-19 and equipment shortages. Nevertheless, Trina Solar has managed to deliver an innovative and efficient power plant to Colombians, one that will reliably deliver clean renewable energy to thousands of its inhabitants and ensure that the country has a sustainable future.
