CIGRE Colombia - FISE CIGRE Conference 2022 – New challenges, new paths to sustainability

Medellin, Colombia
5-6 April 2022

This event offered a great space for business, face to face meetings, learning and networking. It was the opportunity to update knowledge, create contacts and connections with companies of interest, and consolidate relationships with customers and potential business opportunities.

For two days (from April 5th to April 6th of 2022) different academic activities were developed, talks and seminars focused on the topics of the event, which were organized by blocks:

Block 1: Challenges for energy sustainability

• Maria Nohemi Arboleda. President of CIGRE Colombia and general manager of XM. She made the speech and formal opening of the event. It was presented the introduction to the conference about the energy transition, challenges and goals Colombia is facing to achieve carbon neutrality (net-zero).
• The second presentation was given by Marcio Szechtman. President of the CIGRE International Technical Council Chair, the main topic was Energy transition and its impacts on the electric power industry.
• Alex Santander, Head of Policy and Studies Division. Conference on the challenges of the energy transition in Chile, CO2 emissions and how a solution to climate change is proposed through the energy sector.
• Julián Zuluaga, Energy Director from the Colombian Energy Ministry, presented the topic "Sustainability strategy of the electric sector in Colombia", highlighting the design of a successful and innovative energy auction program, with auctions of long-term energy contracts and auctions of reliability charges.
• The General Director of UPME (National Energy Planning Unit), Christian Jaramillo, addressed the topic of Energy Sustainability: Vision from the Planning of the Mining and Energy sector, and UPME's plans for the short, medium and long term.
• The last talk of the first session was given by Jorge Valencia, Executive Director CREG (Regulatory Commission), where he presented the Regulatory Challenges for Energy Sustainability in Colombia.

Block 2: Integration of DER – Renewables towards energy integration.

• Session 2 began with a talk by Francisco Rodriguez-Bobada, with the experience of the Spanish Electricity System Operator with the integration of renewables, talking about the solutions to disconnection due to voltage dips, massive integration of renewable generation and the technical requirements necessary for the integration.
• The second presentation was the Case of Success in Energy Asset Management, by Lee Saldanha Manager GE Renewable Energy, where he explained the case of Transelec, the main transmission company in Chile, which provides an essential service to the Chilean economy, supplying energy to 98% of the country's population.
• The first day of the academic event ended with the FISE OPENING with a talk by the Minister of Mines and Energy, Diego Mesa. Finally an important Panel with the main CEO´s from different companies of the electrical chain in Colombia closed this first day.

Block 3: Role of digital transformation in the energy transition

• The first talk of session 3 was Smart Cities: Energy 2030 by Jairo Espinosa, Energetica Director from the National University. He explained the fundamental conflicts of sustainable development of cities, and how a smart city is a city that can make responsible decisions.
• Ricardo B. Silva talked about the Digitalization of distribution networks in the service of reducing non-technical losses.
• Cristian Mendoza Grosso from Grupo Energia Bogota dealt with the topic of Data Analytics for the management and optimization of easement strips in transmission lines, and how the energy transition depends entirely on the transmission of energy from renewable generation points to centres of consumption.
• Technology 4.0 as a support for digital transformation was the topic addressed by Gerald Gray, Senior Program Manager at EPRI, addressing the problems of digital transformation, solutions or tools, among others.
• The Application of BlockChain in the Colombian energy market was covered by Martha Gil, Director of Analytics and Market Development at XM. She highlighted the main uses of blockchain in energy markets, such as platforms, secure and authenticated transactions and data through cryptography, automated billing, new business models, etc.
• Session 3 was closed with the talk on Digital Challenges in the electricity sector: Practical and Applied Perspective, by Victor Bernal, where he emphasized that "We are evolving from a technological scheme focused on specialized applications for specific purposes, to one of transversal services for management and decision making on integrated sources of information and knowledge".

Block 4: New disruptive elements for transformation

• The first talk of the last session of the academic event was Criteria for comparison of current solutions in HVDC Systems by Henry Smit Kindermann
• The last talk of the academic event was by Noe Mesa, who dealt with the Challenges and opportunities for the training of future engineers, the low interest of young people to study engineering and in particular electrical engineering and how companies can encourage young people to work on these issues of such importance for the future of the country.
• The second day was closed with a Panel about the impact of digital transformation on the electrical sector in Colombia.

During the FISE CIGRE CONFERENCE 2022 we heard different points of views about the topics mentioned above from speakers and panelists. Some of the topics discussed were:

• HVDC systems
• Blockchain in the Colombian electricity market
• Industry 4.0
• Smart Cities
• Energy transition and its impacts on the electric power industry

On the other hand, in order to help the assistants to appreciate the different points of views of the speakers, two panels were done:

• The first Panel had as central axis of conversation: challenges for energy sustainability. The moderator was German Corredor from SER, and the panelists were Jaime Zapata (XM), Luis Everley Llanos (ISA), Julian Zuluaga (Energy Director from the Colombian Energy Ministry) and Eduardo Jaramillo (CEO of GE Renewable energy).
• The second panel was dedicated to talk about the Role of digital transformation and disruptive elements in the energy transition. In this opportunity, the moderator was Idi Amín Isaac Millán from UPB, the panelists were Elkin Medina (MVM), Gloria Salazar (XM), Martin Llerena (EPRI), and Juan Jacobo Rodriguez (GEB)

The topics discussed at the FISE CIGRE CONFERENCE were relevant to learn about technological advances in the energy sector, the impact of the digital transformation in the electricity industry, the public policies that are planned to be developed to achieve the goals of carbon neutrality, and how the challenges that exist in terms of the training of future engineers are being addressed.

Lastly, the Colombian National Committee of CIGRE wants to express its deepest and sincerest thanks to the General Secretary of CIGRE, Philippe Adam, for his unconditional support to this event and for his active participation during the conferences, panels, and the event itself.