MCET NETWORK

The MCET-Colombia team has calibrated the Switch 2.0 model for long-term planning of an electricity system with a high renewable component in Colombia. Using planned and existing generation projects, along with other relevant parameters, we adapt the model to reflect Colombia's unique energy mix, grid and regional generation potential. Switch Colombia simulates dispatch for the base year 2023 with high accuracy, providing a solid basis for capacity expansion planning. The model is compared to the Unidad de Planeación Minero Energética (UPME) scenarios for the year 2037. With Switch Colombia, stakeholders and policy makers can recreate various scenarios, assess policy impacts, and identify optimal generation portfolios to make informed decisions.

Workshop  “Introduction to the Switch Open-Source Model” (February 6th, 2024)

MCET-Colombia team held the workshop “Introduction to the Switch Open-Source Model” at Universidad de Los Andes. This workshop introduced key stakeholders to the work we had undertaken in Switch Colombia up to that point. A total of 44 participants joined the workshop.

The workshop included participants from the public sector, such as members from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the Mining and Energy Planning Unit, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, the National Planning Department, the national system operator (XM), and the Superintendence of Public Utilities. Additionally, private stakeholders from local energy companies, including Ecopetrol and Enel, participated in the workshop. Various members of the academic community from Universidad de Los Andes, who work in the energy sector, were also in attendance.

The workshop began with an introduction by Professor Patricia Hidalgo-Gonzalez (online), who presented the MCET project to the participants. This was followed by Mathias Fripp (online), Associate Vice President of Modelling, Mapping, and Analytics, who provided a thorough overview of Switch as its lead author. Next, Camilo Herrera, representing the MCET Colombian team, presented the results to date in the modeling of Switch Colombia. 

In the second part of the workshop, after presenting Switch and the modeling carried out, the floor was opened for the attendees to share their impressions and points of view on the barriers and opportunities for the energy transition that may be considered in Switch modelling. As a result, next are some of the key points expressed by the participants:

• Consider the network costs that the energy regulator uses to remunerate regulated transmission charges.

• Create summer-winter scenarios that consider water reservoir levels.

• Perform modeling analysis of industrial demand and differential growth.

• Review carbon tax mechanisms, and whether the price signal has an effect on emissions.

• Evaluate the entry of “small hydropower” SHP (Filo de agua).

• Identify projects for renewable integration into the system.

• Include grid constraint costs into the model

• The model may allow to improve the planning function.