Ecopetrol has acquired full ownership of Compañía Wind Autogeneración, the company behind the Windpeshi wind project in La Guajira, Colombia.

The move is part of Ecopetrol's strategy to enhance its renewable energy portfolio and contribute to Colombia's energy transition.

The Windpeshi project, situated between Uribia and Maicao municipalities, will have 205MW capacity for wind energy production.

It will be integrated into Ecopetrol Group's self-consumption portfolio and is expected to generate an average of 1,006 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year, meeting between 8% and 9% of the company’s total energy demand.

Ecopetrol will commence construction by the end of 2025, aiming for operations before 2028.

The project will play a significant role in reducing energy costs and advancing decarbonisation efforts in Colombia.

It is estimated to reduce CO₂ emissions by 4.8 million tonnes and will see investments totalling $350m between 2025 and 2027.

The acquisition marks the beginning of Ecopetrol's venture into building non-conventional renewable energy projects in La Guajira, an area globally recognised for its solar and wind energy potential. It is Ecopetrol's first fully developed renewable energy project.

With the acquisition complete, the process of integrating Wind Autogeneración, controlled by Enel Colombia, into the Ecopetrol Group structure will now commence.

In May 2023, Enel Colombia announced permanent suspension of Windpeshi wind farm construction after consistent protests by local communities.