General News

EPM Slams Antioquia Gov. Luis Perez Over Hidroituango, ‘Blacklisting’ Claims

Medellin Herald October 2, 2018

In an October 2 press conference, EPM general manager Jorge Londoño de la Cuesta contradicted new claims made by Antioquia Governor Luis Perez over supposed contractor errors or negligence surrounding the troubled “Hidroituango” hydroelectric power project in Antioquia. Gov. Perez claims that

General News

Medellin’s ‘Regional Norte’ Highway Wins Debottlenecking Project Finance

Medellin Herald September 14, 2018

The Antioquia departmental government (Gobernacion de Antioquia) and the Area Metropolitana del Valle de Aburra (AMVA, the association of Medellin regional governments) announced September 13 that financing has been secured for a major debottlenecking project of the “Regional Norte” highway between Medellin, Bello and Copacabana. The current highway suffers huge traffic

General News

Update: EPM Reveals Assumptions About Hidroituango Financial-Recuperation Plan

Medellin Herald September 3, 2018

Medellin-based multinational electric-power giant EPM on September 9 revealed in a presentation to the Medellin City Council key financial assumptions about its proposed sale of assets and other measures to cover losses arising from the Hidroituango hydroelectric project diversion-tunnel collapse. “Among other issues, we highlight that in the case of the Hidroituango

General News

Update: Controller-General Claims Hidroituango Crisis Arose From Insufficient Studies, Planning, Controls

Medellin Herald August 26, 2018

Colombia’s Controller-General on August 25 unveiled a 442-page report finding that recent problems with the US$5 billion, 2.4-gigawatt “Hidroituango” hydroelectric project in Antioquia are the result of insufficient technical studies, planning and regulatory controls. The Controller’s report is especially critical of Colombia’s environmental licensing agency (Agencia

General News

University of Antioquia, EPM Team-Up On Biodiversity Projects Around Hydroelectric Dams

Medellin Herald August 4, 2018

Medellin-based utilities giant EPM announced July 3 that it signed a biodiversity project alliance deal with University of Antioquia (U-A) to study and protect birds and other wildlife affected by EPM’s hydroelectric dams – including the under-construction “Hidroituango” dam in Antioquia. According to EPM, the agreement with U-A “adds scientific, technical and

General News

‘Doble Calzada Oriente’ Would Dramatically Improve Traffic Between Medellin, Rionegro: Proponents

Medellin Herald August 1, 2018

Private-sector developers are stepping-up their push for the proposed “doble calzado oriente” (DCO) four-lane, divided highway between the Sancho Paisa roundabout on the Las Palmas highway (east of Medellin) and the international-airport highway adjacent to Hospital San Vicente Fundacion. In an August 1 public hearing near Medellin’s Jose Maria Cordova (JMC) international

General News

EPM To Sell 10% ISA Stake, Chile Assets, Minor Shares to Cover Hidroituango Losses

Medellin Herald July 31, 2018

EPM general manager Jorge Londoño de la Cuesta announced in a July 31 press conference that the company will sell its 10% stake in power transmitter ISA and minority stakes in several other non-strategic companies — as well as its wholly-owned Chilean water and wind-power utilities — over the next six to 12 months. The […]

General News

Antioquia’s ‘Mar 2’ Highway Project Gets US$173 Million Loan OK from FDN

Medellin Herald July 27, 2018

Colombia’s Financiera de Desarrollo Nacional (FDN, a national development bank) announced July 25 that its board of directors approved a 17-year term loan of up-to-COP$500 billion (US$173 million) for the “Mar 2” highway project linking Medellin to current and future Atlantic ports. “The credit granted by the FDN represents 25% of the total financing of […]

General News

Biological Treasure House in Anori Gets a First-Ever Good Look

Medellin Herald July 17, 2018

Colombia’s science-investigation unit Colciencias announced July 16 that it’s teaming-up with government officials for a first-ever “BioExpedition” this month near Anorí, northeast Antioquia – an area forbidden to nature-lovers because of decades of FARC guerrilla violence. According to the announcement (see:

General News

EPM Making More Progress in Recovering Hidroituango Project

Medellin Herald July 12, 2018

EPM general manager Jorge Londoño de la Cuesta revealed in a July 11 press conference that engineers are making more progress in recovering the US$5 billion, 2.4-gigawatt “Hidroituango” hydroelectric dam project in Antioquia in the wake of a temporary emergency caused by a geological fault and a diversion-tunnel failure last May. Thanks to falling water […]