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EPM delays startup of 2.4 GW Ituango project due to water intake leaks

EPM delays startup of 2.4 GW Ituango project due to water intake leaks

New construction problems, in the form of leaks in the water intake tunnel, will cause delays to the Ituango project’s latest timeline, according to Medellín Mayor Daniel Quintero.

The 2.4 GW hydroelectric project, being developed on the Cauca River in Colombia by Empresas Públicas Medellín (EPM), is now on track to begin partially operating in mid-August, less than a month later than previously planned, according to BNamericas.

“The date of entry into operation is not going to be July 26,” Quintero, who is also chairman of EPM, told BluRadio. “We expect it to be very soon after that date, 15 to 20 days. After the dry test on July 26, when the last cylinder is installed, water will be allowed to pass through [the first turbine].”

Quintero’s comments came less than a day after EPM generation head William Giraldo said the previous deadline would not be met because leaks were identified in a water intake tunnel during preliminary testing. Giraldo insisted the project would not miss a Nov. 30 cut-off date set by power sector regulator Creg for the start of operations.

Officials have said the first two turbines will be activated by Nov. 30 and another two in 2023. Units 5, 6 and 7 are slated to begin operating in 2024, with an eighth turbine scheduled to come online in 2025.

In March 2022, EPM launched a bidding process for a new Ituango construction contract, defying warnings that replacing the existing CCC Ituango consortium would likely lead to further delays. EPM has said that CCC Ituango – comprising Camargo Corrêa (55%), Constructora Conconcreto (35%) and Coninsa Ramón (10%) – is free to participate in the tender. CCC Ituango’s current contract will expire on Aug. 31.

Ituango was originally due to begin operating in 2018. In addition to a four-year delay caused by construction problems, the project is also running around US$1.5 billion over budget. According to the latest estimates, its overall cost will now exceed US$4.5 billion.

EPM said in January that insurance payouts of more than US$1 billion for civil liability claims would allow work on Ituango to proceed without further bottlenecks.