Venezuela-Colombia energy: Hype or reality?

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Colombia sees closer energy cooperation with Venezuela as central to regional integration amid rising geopolitical tensions and climate risks.

For Venezuela, energy alliances with its western neighbor are vital to addressing deep-rooted structural problems in its power grid and supporting key industries such as oil and gas and mining.

Colombian energy minister Edwin Palma this week said the government was seeking new opportunities for cross-border trade with Caracas following an easing of US sanctions. 

"Venezuela is once again a key player in the regional energy equation," Palma said. "We share more than 2,200 kilometers of border and a strong complementary potential that we must harness to build energy security and joint development."

Colombia and Venezuela have this year advanced a bilateral agenda that includes natural gas imports, electricity interconnection and renewable energy cooperation, Palma said.

In March, officials announced plans to restore a high-voltage interconnection between the eastern Colombian town of Puerto Carreño and Puerto Páez in Venezuela. The line began operating in 2004 with peak demand of around 2.3MW but has been out of service for at least 10 years. 

Source: Wikipedia