EDPR makes donations to indigenous communities impacted by Covid-19 in La Guajira
The donations were made via the Guajira local government to help tackle the economic crisis triggered by the pandemic among these communities.
Bogota, 1 June 2020: EDP Renewables (EDPR), a global leader in the renewable energy sector and one of the world’s largest wind energy producers with operations in Colombia, has donated drinking water, medical supplies and staple foods to support the Colombia's Wayuu communities, which have been impacted by the economic and health crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The donation, delivered through the La Guijira local government, included 240,000 litres of drinking water, masks, face shields and staple food banks.
The medical supplies were distributed at the hospitals in Maicao and Uribia, and 10,000 litres of drinking water was delivered to each of the 24 settlements in the catchment area of the Alpha and Beta wind farms under development by EDPR in the region.
These donations are part of the over €800,000 aid programme rolled out by EDPR to help tackle Covid-19 announced early this month. Projects are being funded in local communities in most of the markets where EDPR operates, to help cushion the impact of coronavirus.
EDP Renewables CEO João Manso Neto said: "These extraordinary times are impacting everyone, and require us to take responsibility as supportive members of a society which is suffering an unprecedented crisis. At EDPR we are always committed to offering local support, not only with a view to transforming the energy sector but also to help improve standards of living in communities where we operate."
In an auction in 2019, the Colombian government awarded EDPR two 20-year wind farm construction contracts. The two contracts were for the onshore wind farm projects Alpha (212 MW) and Beta (280 MW), which are currently being developed in La Guajira, with commercial operations set to commence in 2022.