Monday, January 19, 2009

Are Sore Knees Normal When You Start Running

Urra hydroelectric SA: a bad deal for the nation

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Now that the government intends again Hydroelectric mount another alias "Sinu River," as one journalist called Bogotano, unnecessary for the country and for the Caribbean Region, especially in Córdoba, it is worth remembering and bringing to mind the moral of the fable of Urrá I: never needed or as energy supply or as a flood control basin of the Sinu river. This company it is not financially viable nor sustainable in either the medium or long term has been and is a fiscal burden for the nation.

Before, or better, during construction already glimpsed the first financial setbacks to finish, it took several capitalization by the Government to be able to finish. There were many problems, for example, with the purchase of land for the displaced, problems with ethnic and indigenous reconciliation, etc. But the government insisted it should be built above any reason and now we have already known the dire consequences: deaths of indigenous people and civilians, damage to the fauna and flora, destruction of 7,400. hectares forest in the Parque Natural de Paramillo, deterioration of almost all the Sinu Basin with obvious signs of erosion and environmental damage, displacement, changes in culture, economy and society Embera-Katio and continued indiscriminate deforestation, etc. . Here are the main

capitalizations Urrá I before its entry into commercial operation:

* Document CONPES 3897 Dec 1996 and Dec 2975 CONPES Document 1997, the amount of $ U.S. 153,900,000.
* Decree 695 of April 1998, worth U.S. $ 113.908.283.75.
* Decree 2600 of 1998, $ U.S. 10,000,000.
* Decree 1669 of August 1999, U.S. $ 5,121,123.80.

Total capitalization before its entry into operation: U.S. $ 283,000,000.

This does not include other smaller loans and negotiations between the Government and Urra I. Check-

commercial operation Urrá I: July 2000 with four (4) units of 85 mw each for a total of 340 megawatts of installed capacity.
Urrá
But finally I was born dead. Energy studies within CORELCA Urrá I showed that not required urgently manifest his power generated would be supplied by thermal and other water projects that were built at that time, less expensive and less problems Urrá I, ie, project expansion and upgrading of TEBSA Termoflores in Barranquilla, Termocartagena, HONEY I and II, PORCE I AND II, maintenance in Termoguajira and many others in Antioquia and Valle del Cauca. Important

indicate that careful studies carried out multiple and energy on Urra I. In CORELCA, when the Caribbean National hydrothermal system was simulated for the period 1988 - 2000 without the input (KWH) Urra I, the mathematical model Bureau of Plant and threw load flow results in a stable electrical system without the presence of deficit, a surplus of energy, with appropriate levels of voltage, current and normal flows of active power and reactive in the transmission and distribution. Look

you, then, that when the Central Urrá I started commercial operations in July 2000, we were almost swimming in energy due to the amount of energy projects that had already entered to prevent or counteract another ration similar to that in 1992 during the Government of Dr. Gaviria. In July 2000, Colombia had a total installed capacity of 12,581 MW to meet peak demand or peak of 7712 MW, ie, there were excess or surplus power of around 39%. So why another 340 additional megawatts Urrá I? For its part the Region Caribbean not require it, because it has sufficient generating capacity to meet its demand independently and additionally, has the support of the national interconnection line to 500,000 volts between San Carlos, Antioquia and Sabanalarga - Atlanta, dual circuit, where You can bring or receive up to 1,000. Additional megawatts. What Urrá I? This project could have been stopped in time, but could the political interests and who knows what other, that true governance and national interests.

A simple technical and financial analysis indicates that the costs of power generation from the hydroelectric Urra I, ie the cost of a kilowatt-hour generated, can not be competitive with the costs of other hydropower generation within the country. Recall that the social costs of Urrá I like the payment of compensation to indigenous and other costs associated with their generation, are not included in the cost of a kilowatt-hour generated by Urra I. If they were in this company would have disappeared from the first month of its debut in the Colombian electric stage, the government simply assumes these costs.

After its entry into commercial operation

They clearly the company's financial crisis, a few months after its debut, the government chose again to give it another bro. Initially it was estimated that the work would cost about $ 200 million, but ended up costing about $ 790 million, financial errorcito all of Colombia has been overlooked. Why quadrupled the investment costs? Managers believe that the eternal Urrá managers SA owe a explanation to the country. Anyway

see new government support because Urrá I is not viable nor sustainable for itself:

* Authorize URRÁ SA to recruit and deliver to a third party management of central hired in 2001 to future years to 2005 the management, operation and maintenance - AOM. DGPPN CONFIS
* Document No.19 August 2005 to renew the outsourcing of AOM from 1 January 2006 to December 31, 2010. Justification of Government: "Considering that Urrá staff at its plant workers do not have to take charge of service management, operation and maintenance of the 4-AOM generating units and in general of Hydro, it is necessary the service contract for the period indicated, with an estimated staff of 42 employees at the operational and 36 in the Admin. The 5-year contract gives greater security to the plant reducing the risk of vulnerability in their operation, could occur if this service will be hired for short periods and with different operators "
* Based Comprehensive Audit report of the Comptroller General of the Republic of 2003, Urra SA has 42 employees at its plant personnel. This should be reviewed. Why do so many people if they do not operate or manage the plant? * Document CONPES
3250, 2003, Table 5 shows the entities in relation to their problems constitute the largest tax burden for the state. Urra I participates with 1.63%. * Document CONPES
3519 May 2008: profit of industrial enterprises and commercial state and mixed economy, in December. 2007. Total Utilities Urra I = (824,520) million pesos. Negative earnings. Utilities to capitalize, distribute and reserve = Zero dollars ($ 0.0) * Document CONPES 3544
October 2008: a strategy for structuring a financing mechanism for road project "Highway of the Americas. Authorizes Urrá capitalize I.
* Decree 4579 of December 3, 2008, by authorizing the Nation - Ministry of Finance - for the capitalization of the Company URRÁ SAESP up to the amount of ONE BILLION TWO HUNDRED THIRTEEN THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY EIGHT MILLION THOUSAND PESOS ($ 1.213.127.804.000) by converting some debt ordinary shares of the company. This decree is valid for 20 working days, ie until January 2, 2009. 6.9.2-0961-024982
* Memorandum No. 18 November 2008: Company balance URRÁ SAESP is in favor of the Nation - Ministry of Finance is ONE BILLION FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY-EIGHT MILLION SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND EIGHTEEN THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED THIRTY PESOS WITH TWENTY CENTS ($ 1.458.306.718.930,21) Colombian legal tender,
Discrimination of debt: capital for the sum of $ 1.213.127.804.567,31 and interest the sum of $ 245,178,914,362 , 90
* I CONFIS CLOSING HALF FISCAL 2008 Fiscal Balance of Power Sector: The first half of 2008 the sector received the Central Government resources by $ 23 billion, this figure is $ 70 mm lower than in the first half of 2007 ($ 93 mm). Gecelca Urrá and each received, resources for $ 11 mm were used in the case of Urrá to cover debt service and Gecelca makes use of these resources for the payment of PPA contracts with TEBSA. Important

say that much cap to cover the financial damage of an inefficient company is only possible if there are interests to do so. This is removed and denied social investing hundreds of thousands of Colombians who require education, health, housing, improvement of their conditions of life, etc..

This runs counter to the Presidential Directive No. 10 of August 20, 2002, just days after Dr. Uribe Vélez positioned where we talk about public renewal program: towards an EU state. Here we speak of efficiency, thrift, and careful management of public resources, transparency and accountability, among others. Urra SA is the opposite of that directive.

also runs counter to the Act 617 of 2000 and Act 790 of 2002: Renewal of Public Administration. Entities may merge, liquidate, etc.

MORAL OF THE FABLE URRÁ I: THE NEW PROJECT URRÁ II OR RIVER OR SINU ALSO REQUIRED TO GENERATE POWER, MORE OR TO MARKET OR FOR FLOOD CONTROL.

is clear that the current expansion plan Generation Transmission period 2008 - 2002, prepared by the UPME, Planning Unit Mining Energy and adopted by the Government through Resolution No. 18 2149 DECEMBER 28, 2007, does not provide for Urrá II as a project hydroelectric and also shows a reliable energy landscape to deal with potential increases in energy demand which has come to need the country. During this period we do not see any energy deficit. Has detected a possible energy deficit for the end of 2012, which has been settled by adjudication by auction for 350 MW Thermal be built in the Caribbean region, of which 150 MW will be built in Cordoba, Puerto Libertador, using existing thermal coal in that area.

There is no technical reason, environmental, financial, social or manufacture of the Sinu River project that will destroy 53,000 hectares of forest in the Parque Natural de Paramillo, displace more than 2,100 families of ethnic groups and bring Embera Katío more erosion, more deforestation, more misery in the area and in the medium and long term will end with all Our River Basin Sinu. Be reached to build this project, (the Government thinks AUCTION do) come into operation as Urrá SA in 2017, when the country, according to his projections would have surplus energy or surplus energy by 27%. So why URRÁ II or Sinú river?

Anyway we must be alert because there is already a potential private investor willing to build, the company is CAST ALUMINIUM Brazil and according to preliminary financial approaches would cost the country between 700 and 1000 billion dollar bargain that would have to pay all Colombians unnecessarily.

From: http://www.viva.org.co/cajavirtual/svc0142/index% 20 -% 204.html 20pagina%

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Sympathy Sick Family Memeber

tropical dry scrubland " ? Mega-dams

dry ecosystems in Colombia, little known and cared

Most dry ecosystems go unnoticed to the casual observer, who sees as mere minor road or river. When you think about biodiversity always come to mind images of jungle and tropical forests, but also dry ecosystems play a vital role in the ecological balance. A group of biologists graduates of the National University of Colombia created the foundation five years ago Dry Ecosystems in Colombia whose aim is to study, preserve and build support for this kind of landscape care.


Gina Rodriguez, a biologist at the university and director of the Foundation, is convinced that for the new generation of biologists is a vast field for the study of dry forests. "We want to generate knowledge about these ecosystems, which are the most degraded, least kept and most unknown. Scientists tend to focus more on areas such as wilderness. "

the situation in the world is not the best at present is only 1.5 percent of the original cover. In Colombia the protected area of \u200b\u200bdry ecosystems in the National National Park is only 0.8 percent. "That's nothing, there is a whole work ahead to improve sheltered areas and create biological corridors connecting the remaining small pockets," emphasizes the young biologist.

dry ecosystems include tropical dry forests, such as those seen on the tour road between Bogota and Melgar, also on the sides of the tracks on the Atlantic coast, where tours to Cartagena, Barranquilla and Santa Marta (including the Tayrona park), as well, where there are very dry scrub cactus. Andean dry systems such as Villa de Leyva (Boyacá), all part of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, deserts such as the Tatacoa (Huila) and La Guajira.

"These natural areas have many goods and services. In these ecosystems there is a high variety of timber species are becoming extinct. They are places we have to repopulate to have sustainable forests. These soils are very fertile dry forests. There are many plant species are endemic. To complete, lives a high variety of medicinal species that little is known, "says Rodriguez.

One of the key strategies in which the Foundation works to create conservation areas. To achieve this requires further field studies. At the time, 90 percent of I develop NGO jobs are derived from people from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia interested in the issue, although there are professionals from other universities.

According to the Foundation, the region most heavily beaten the dry ecosystem is the Atlantic Coast, by the expansion of the agricultural and ranching. Also, the cundiboyacense plain and dry enclaves along the Magdalena River.

"We want to create a project bank. Students of the University who are interested can contact us to extend this research. In Colombia there are very few entities interested in preserving these ecosystems, in part because there is little literature and few studies, "he says Gina Rodriguez.

Posted on (month / day / year) 01/07/2009
Source: UN News Agency - http://www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co - Bogotá, Colombia PESCADERO