Escaping from Energetic Dependency: Analysis of Alternative Electric Energy Sources for Colombia
Presentation Type
Short presentation 10-15 minutes
In Person or Zoom Presentation
In-Person
Campus
Daytona Beach
Status
Student
Student Year and Major
Sophmore Aerospace Engineering
Presentation Description/Abstract
From April of 2024 to 2025, the capital of Colombia, Bogotá, had to undergo a period of water rationing due to the drastic effects of El Niño-Southern Oscillation; for the fourth-largest city in South America, home to more than 10 million people, an event like this was a wake-up call for the dependency that the whole country has on hydroelectric energy. As of 2026, the Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy reports that nearly 60% of the electricity delivered comes from hydroelectric plants. Knowing the vulnerability of the Colombian geography to droughts, the need to find a substitute for hydroelectric power arises. For that reason, this study did a energy feasibility study of implementing Colombia’s first nuclear power plant—a GE Hitachi BWRX 300—to compensate for a progressive decrease of hydroelectric energy in the country with the hypothetical assumption that sufficient uranium reserves are found within the Colombian territory. Parameters such as geographical location, economic feasibility, and infrastructural capacity were addressed to build a holistic understanding of the situation. The analysis concluded that, constructing and maintaining a nuclear power plant is economically and infrastructurally feasible to be implemented near the city of Bogota; there was however, a raised concern regarding the cultural and political impact due to Colombia’s history with corruption on large-scale projects.
Keywords
Nuclear energy, hydroelectric energy, Colombia, feasibility study, energetic dependency, El Niño
Escaping from Energetic Dependency: Analysis of Alternative Electric Energy Sources for Colombia
From April of 2024 to 2025, the capital of Colombia, Bogotá, had to undergo a period of water rationing due to the drastic effects of El Niño-Southern Oscillation; for the fourth-largest city in South America, home to more than 10 million people, an event like this was a wake-up call for the dependency that the whole country has on hydroelectric energy. As of 2026, the Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy reports that nearly 60% of the electricity delivered comes from hydroelectric plants. Knowing the vulnerability of the Colombian geography to droughts, the need to find a substitute for hydroelectric power arises. For that reason, this study did a energy feasibility study of implementing Colombia’s first nuclear power plant—a GE Hitachi BWRX 300—to compensate for a progressive decrease of hydroelectric energy in the country with the hypothetical assumption that sufficient uranium reserves are found within the Colombian territory. Parameters such as geographical location, economic feasibility, and infrastructural capacity were addressed to build a holistic understanding of the situation. The analysis concluded that, constructing and maintaining a nuclear power plant is economically and infrastructurally feasible to be implemented near the city of Bogota; there was however, a raised concern regarding the cultural and political impact due to Colombia’s history with corruption on large-scale projects.