Odinsa ratifies its commitment to sustainability with concrete actions to protect ecosystems and mitigate climate change

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  • Odinsa, the Grupo Argos concessions company, commemorates the World Water, Animal and Habitat Days by working resolutely on the mitigation of climate change and the protection of water and biodiversity
  • Sustainability is a fundamental pillar of the Company’s strategy, which is why it designs, adapts, implements and shares with its road and airport concessions the best practices for generating shared value.
  • Resilient and low-carbon infrastructure, identification and protection of wildlife, management of water and natural resources, and planting trees in exchange for toll payment are some of the actions taken as part of its commitment.

October 5, 2020 Odinsa, the Grupo Argos concessions company, continues to advance steadily in its sustainability strategy, under which it is implementing various mitigation, compensation, adaptation and conservation initiatives in its road and airport concessions in accordance with the priorities of the regions, in order to address climate change and protect ecosystems.

“We are working with conviction and commitment, promoting good practices as part of our proposal to create value and manage projects in a responsible manner, in the pursuit of sustainable growth and environmental care” said Mauricio Ossa, Odinsa’s CEO.

The company commemorates the World Water, Animal and Habitat Days by working resolutely on the mitigation and adaptation to climate change and the protection of biodiversity and water resources, contributing to their conservation, using them rationally and fostering their value as a natural and tourist heritage for communities and their development. Some of the activities and projects recently implemented and underway are highlighted below:

The Protection of Biodiversity, a Top Priority

The company protects places of high value to flora and fauna, and prevents, mitigates and offsets interventions in ecosystems.

  • Its Fourth Generation (4G) Conexión Pacífico 2 road project in Antioquia has positioned itself as a pioneer in wildlife crossings in Colombia and in road ecology, as it is currently building 25 wildlife crossings and conducting studies associated with artificial intelligence to monitor and identify the species that cohabit in the project’s area of influence and predict points where wildlife could be run over.
  • Additionally, Pacífico 2 promoted the creation of the first Habitat Bank in Antioquia, second in the country, approved by the Ministry of the Environment consisting of 800 ha, of which the project will acquire 400 ha for offsetting. By 2028, it expects to comply with the plan for offsetting 2,000 ha and the conservation and restoration of 11,000 ha of strategic ecosystems through voluntary actions and agreements with partners in the region. As part of this goal, the concession contributes to the protection of the tropical dry forest and has provided for a 30% increase in the existing coverage, adding 2,050 hectares to the little more than 6,000 hectares existing at present.
  • Currently, Pacífico 2 is working on the development of a Tropical Dry Forest (TDF) Training and Research Center in La Pintada, which will contribute to the production and strengthening of technical and scientific capacities in the region, for its sustainability and adaptation to climate change. It will have spaces open to the community and universities, an environmental classroom, and will develop a productive and scientific nursery that will contribute to plant production, the generation of knowledge about the TDF and research.
  • In turn, with the aim of contributing to the reforestation of the region, and the mitigation and adaptation to climate change, between August and September, Autopistas del Café and Conexión Pacífico 2 launched the environmental initiative: A Toll for a Tree. A pilot project through which users were invited to request the planting of a tree on their behalf by attaching the photo of their toll receipt. As part of this pilot, each concession planted 1,000 trees from native species.

Contributing to the Availability and Quality of Water, a Vital Issue

The company measures its water footprint in concessions and projects on an annual basis and executes plans for the optimization of its consumption and reuse.

  • Currently, its road project Conexión Pacífico 2 in Antioquia is carrying out conservation and voluntary reforestation actions in the basins of the Cartama, Piedras and Mulatos Rivers in Antioquia, in strategic areas of ecosystem services by planting more than 240,000 trees in the last year, as part of its goal of reaching 11,000 voluntary hectares for the protection of these basins that supply the communities in the region.
  • Autopistas del Café, in the Coffee-growing Region, has reforested 25 hectares with more than 27,500 endemic trees of the region, with the aim of protecting the Quindio River Basin, benefiting the water supply of the municipalities of La Tebaida, Circasia, Salento and Armenia in Quindio. Additionally, the National Environmental Licensing Agency (ANLA, for the Spanish original) approved the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in the District of Tribunas in Pereira, which will benefit more than 2,000 people, in addition to the construction of 179 individual septic systems in Manizales, Santa Rosa, Salento and Filandia. Also, Autopistas del Café installed a hydrometeorological station in the El Rosario Stream in Manizales and delivered two more stations to the Quindío environmental authorities, with the objective of monitoring and controlling the flows and rainfall of the basins that supply the aqueducts of a large part of Quindío, being an important instrument for the generation of early warnings of flash flooding for timely evacuations.
  • El Dorado International Airport has a Rainwater Treatment Plant that allows it to harness and recirculate the treated water, which is used in the batteries of restrooms of the entire terminal. It treats more than 25,000 m3 of rainwater per year, which is equivalent to the hydration of more than half a million people in the same period of time.

Tackling Climate Change, a Mission

Odinsa contributes to the transition to a low-carbon development model with resilient infrastructure and the implementation of systems for the measurement, offsetting and mitigation of carbon emissions. The Company is currently defining its emissions reduction targets, projected under the Paris Agreement scenarios for the years 2025 and 2030.

  • Aeropuerto El Dorado, in a partnership with Celsia, completed the largest photovoltaic installation in air terminals in Latin America with a system of 10,369 solar panels already in operation, which will stop the emission of 1,375 tons of CO2, equivalent to the carbon captured by 76 thousand mature trees
  • Additionally, El Dorado implemented the Science Based Targets© methodology so that the objectives and targets adopted by the airport to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are in line with the latest climate science and contribute to meeting the objectives of the Paris Agreement 2015.
  • Aeropuerto Mariscal Sucre was consolidated as the first terminal in Latin America to validate its carbon neutrality granted by the Airport Carbon Association of the Airports Council International (ACI) and Aeropuerto El Dorado received the Level 2 Reduction Certification for reducing the intensity of its emissions.

Finally, Odinsa, the concessions company of Grupo Argos, indicated that it will continue working on the framework of its sustainability policy and in a cross-cutting manner, on all its road and airport concessions in Colombia, Ecuador, Dominican Republic and Aruba, in the development and implementation of good practices that drive competitiveness, create shared value and promote environmental care.

Odinsa reports progress in its road and airport projects following the safe reactivation of its work sites and operations

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  • The road and airport concessions of Odinsa, a Grupo Argos company, have reactivated their operations and work sites with the highest safety standards, a sign of the company’s commitment to the timely delivery of the works of its concessioned projects and the efficient and responsible management of assets.
  • Approximately 123,000 passengers have traveled through Aeropuerto El Dorado in Bogotá since its commercial reactivation on September 1, and more than 110,000 passengers have gone through Aeropuerto Mariscal Sucre in Quito since June 1.
  • The Conexión Pacífico 2 project in Antioquia reports a progress of 92.08% in its execution, while in some sections of the Autopistas del Café, there is progress of 56% and 60%, thus meeting and even exceeding the stipulated schedules.

September 18, 2020 Odinsa, a Grupo Argos concessions company, advanced together with its concessions in the implementation of strict biosafety protocols in its road and airport projects, strictly following the guidelines provided by the health authorities and the national government. This has enabled the reactivation of activities and the reporting of significant advances in the execution of its works, thus ratifying its purpose of contributing to the connectivity, competitiveness and safe reactivation of the economy in the territories where it is operating.

Significant advances in airport concessions

Aeropuerto Internacional El Dorado , Bogotá

Colombia’s main air terminal resumed commercial operations on September 1, after closing in March due to the mandatory quarantine decreed by the national government, and after five months of preparation based on the highest biosafety procedures and standards. It currently has strict biosafety protocols and new technology that facilitates self-management and reduces interaction between passengers and service personnel, such as self-delivery of luggage, biometric and pre-security doors, and thermal cameras, facilitating mobility in safe conditions throughout the terminal.

In its first two weeks, the airport reported a positive assessment of the air operation in terms of passenger management, biosafety and departure and arrival experience. During this period approximately 1,300 flights have been operated with around 123,000 passengers; an average movement of 80 flights and about 7,700 passengers per day has been registered, carried out by 6 airlines, on the 14 routes authorized by the Mayor’s Office and the national government, where the cities with the highest demand are: Medellín, Cali, Pereira, Cartagena and Barranquilla.

As far as international flights, the airport will start the reactivation on September 21. The authorized destinations are: United States, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia and Guatemala.

It should be noted that in August, El Dorado received three national and international certifications that endorse the implementation of its protocols and biosafety measures from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Colombia; Bureau Veritas and the Airports Council International (ACI).

Aeropuerto Mariscal Sucre, Quito

This air terminal resumed commercial passenger flight operations on June 1, applying strict biosafety protocols and contributing to the reactivation of the economy and air transport in Ecuador in a safe and efficient manner.

In the first three months after reopening (Jun-Aug), Aeropuerto Mariscal Sucre mobilized more than 110,000 passengers, through the operation of 12 airlines and 15 domestic and international destinations. The routes between Quito and Guayaquil, on a domestic scale, and to Madrid and Miami, on an international scale, have the greatest demand.

In terms of certifications in biosafety measures and protocols, the airport was the first in South America to receive the Airport Health Accreditation (AHA), granted by the Airports Council International (ACI), for the actions taken to prioritize the health and safety of travelers and the airport community.

Significant advances in its road projects in Colombia

Conexión Pacífico 2, in Antioquia, will be one of the first 4G projects to finish the construction phase

This project, which is part of the Fourth Generation of Road Concessions in Colombia (4G), and which includes 96.5 kilometers in the sections between Primavera-La Pintada and La Pintada-Bolombolo, will enable the connection between the northern departments of the country, Antioquia, the Coffee-growing Region and the Pacific, and will promote Colombia’s competitiveness and connectivity.

Conexión Pacífico 2, recently certified as the first and only project in Colombia to receive the ISO certification in road safety from ICONTEC, has created more than 3,500 jobs in the region and is made up of five functional units (two of which have already been delivered: UF1 La Pintada-Puente Iglesias and UF5 La Pintada-Primavera). It currently reports a progress of 92.08%, in which two of its most iconic works stand out: the Mulatos Tunnel, made up of a length of 2.5 km and two single-lane road tubes – with a progress of 87.7%, and the bridge over the Cauca River, with a length of 485 meters, which already reports an execution of 92.55%.

In addition, in the last quarter of the year, the concession will provide the users of the roads with its new Operations Control Center, designed by Giancarlo Mazzanti, one of the best architects in Colombia. This new place also aims to become a space for community use that promotes integration and the implementation of various social and cultural activities.

Autopistas del Café, Coffee-growing Region

As part of this project, which connects the departments of Caldas, Risaralda and Quindío through 256 kilometers of roads, important works are being carried out to strengthen the connection of the Coffee-growing Region with all the operational standards and biosafety protocols.

Among them is the Industriales elevated bridge, located in the Postobón sector, in the municipality of Dosquebradas, which is in an axis for the connectivity of the metropolitan area of Pereira, on which about 8,000 vehicles transit daily. This intervention reports a progress of 60%. In turn, the El Jazmín intersection, which contributes to the connectivity between two main capitals such as Pereira and Manizales on the stretch from Santa Rosa de Cabal to Chinchiná, reached an execution of 56%, exceeding that stipulated in the schedule by 40%.

Finally, the Campoalegre road pair, which consists of the construction of an 850-meter second road in the Campoalegre sector of Chinchiná, as well as a 1,440-meter route that connects Tarapacá 1 (old road) and Tarapacá 2 (new road), reports an execution of 11% to date.

Thus, the Autopistas del Café project contributes to the country’s economic reactivation and progresses toward the materialization of these other works built with the surpluses of the concession tolls contained in Addendum 20 and agreed upon with the governments of the departments of the Coffee-growing Region and the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI, for the Spanish original).

Finally, Odinsa, the concessions company of Grupo Argos, indicated that it will continue working on the framework of its sustainability policy and in a cross-cutting manner, on all its road and airport concessions in Colombia, Ecuador, Dominican Republic and Aruba, to contribute to the connectivity, competitiveness and reactivation of the countries where it operates.

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Download photos, videos and more information by clicking on the links below:

Photos:
https://we.tl/t-iDekEJF6XQ/
Autopistas del Café
I Progress of the Industriales Bridge I Progress of El Jazmín
Conexión Pacífico 2
Video work progress
Aeropuerto Mariscal Sucre
Click here
Aeropuerto El Dorado
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For additional information about Odinsa, contact:
Viviana Arroyave, Communications Director / varroyave@odinsa.com / 3176469218
Maria Luisa Concha, Communications Analyst / mariaconcha@dattis.com / 3214909926
Visit www.odinsa.com and our social media @SomosOdinsa on Twitter I Odinsa on LinkedIn

Odinsa, a concessions company of Grupo Argos, acquires the controlling interest of the Túnel Aburrá Oriente Concession

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  • Odinsa announced the signing of the agreement to acquire 53% of the shareholding in the Conexión Vial Aburrá Oriente – Túnel de Oriente project.
  • Through this transaction, the company ratifies its commitment to the development of the country and continues to strengthen its presence in Antioquia, where it is successfully moving forward in the construction of the fourth-generation road, Conexión Pacífico 2.
  • Once the transaction is closed, Odinsa will become the majority shareholder of the concession that connects Valle de Aburrá to Valle de San Nicolás.

Medellín, October 8, 2019. Odinsa, a concession company of Grupo Argos, ratifies its intention to contribute to the competitiveness of the country through a new investment that consolidates its presence in Antioquia and strengthens its portfolio in Colombia. The company announced the signing of an agreement to acquire a 53% equity interest in the Túnel Aburrá Oriente Concession, to become the majority partner thereof.

“The Conexión Vial Aburrá Oriente – Túnel de Oriente that we are highlighting as one of the main engineering works in Colombia, is a relevant asset that will enable us to continue generating value and making available to Antioquia and the country all our knowledge and experience in road concessions” said Mauricio Ossa, CEO of Odinsa. 

This mega-project has become one of the most relevant corridors in Antioquia, positioning itself as a benchmark for Colombian infrastructure. The project is made up of three roads that add up to more than 60 kilometers and connect the Valle de Aburrá to eastern Antioquia through tunnels, viaducts and highway interchanges, also constituting the main access road to the José María Córdova International Airport. Additionally, the Túnel Santa Elena, the most iconic work of the concession as the longest tunnel in operation in Latin America, substantially reduced travel time to and from Medellín. 

“We are proud to continue contributing to the construction of a competitive country through investments in transformative works like this one, which in addition to connecting the Valle de Aburrá to Valle San Nicolás, is necessary to continue promoting the development and competitiveness of Antioquia and generating wellbeing for its inhabitants. Our long term purpose is to invest in the execution of a modern, sustainable and competitive infrastructure for the country. Through this announcement Grupo Argos totals COP 2 billion of investment in infrastructure in Antioquia,” said Jorge Mario Velasquez, CEO of Grupo Argos and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Odinsa.

This acquisition, which is valued at approximately COP 335,000 million, will be financed by Odinsa through the relocation of the capital it has invested in other assets and in other geographic locations, and it is not considering increasing the structural debt to finance the acquisition. The payment will be made in two parts: 50% upon closing the transaction and the remaining 50% within the following 18 months.

Once the established conditions are met and the closing is carried out, this asset will be added to the 6 road concessions that Odinsa, the concessions company of Grupo Argos, currently has in 3 countries in the region and through which, in the first half of the year, more than 14 million vehicles circulated, among which Autopistas del Café and Conexión Pacífico 2 stood out in Colombia.

About Odinsa

The concessions company of Grupo Argos currently has a strategic portfolio that strengthens its position in the sector and a management based on the framework of sustainability and good corporate governance, as engines of responsible and positive growth for the country and for the company. Its road and airport concessions include:

  • Conexión Pacífico 2, Colombia: In the first half of the year, this project, located in Antioquia, inaugurated its second section or functional unit (of 5) and to date, reports a work progress of more than 76.45%. See works completion video
  • Autopistas del Café, Colombia: The concession closed the first half of the year with a traffic of more than 5 million vehicles and 3,600 services provided to its users.
  • El Dorado Airport, Colombia: in the first half of the year, over 16 million passengers moved through this airport; in addition, El Dorado has positioned itself as a green airport in the region, having received several awards, including the international Outstanding Sustainability Program award and the Carbon Footprint accreditation. See more
  • Mariscal Sucre Airport, Ecuador: positioned by Skytrax as the Best Airport in South America, completing 6 years of operations in 2019 during which time it has contributed to the country’s connectivity. See more

For additional information about Odinsa, contact:

Viviana Arroyave, Communications Director / varroyave@odinsa.com / 3176469218

Visit www.odinsa.com and our social networks @SomosOdinsa on Twitter I Odinsa on LinkedIn

Odinsa Airports stand out for reducing the carbon footprint: Mariscal Sucre Airport was declared carbon neutral, and El Dorado Airport advanced to the reduction level

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  • Grupo Argos’s concession company, Odinsa, ratified its commitment to sustainability and generating shared value through the implementation of climate change mitigation initiatives at its concessions.
  • Mariscal Sucre became the first international airport to have reached carbon footprint neutrality in Latin America.
  • El Dorado was certified at level 2 – Reduction by the Airport Carbon Accreditation of the ACI-LAC because it reduced emissions intensity by 5% over 2017, and by 25% compared to the previous three years’ average.

Medellín, September 9, 2019. Odinsa, Grupo Argos’s concession company, continues to materialize its commitment to sustainability through specific actions and programs that generate shared value for the company, the environment and society. This includes its decisive aim to reduce the carbon footprint, with its airports attaining outstanding results.

Mariscal Sucre Airport in Quito was declared carbon neutral in the Airport Carbon Accreditation Program (ACA) established by the Airports International Council and with technical approval from the United Nations, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the World Bank, and the US Federal Aviation Administration. Mariscal Sucre became the first international airport to have reached carbon footprint neutrality in Latin America.

Initiatives aimed at reaching this important goal include specific actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as fuel savings and energy efficiency actions such as replacing lamps for LED bulbs, and capturing over 400 tons of CO2 thanks to the 4,596 trees planted in reforestation activities at the Caraburo plateau reserve area, among others. In addition, the airport offsets its direct emissions through the purchase of certified carbon bonds from sustainable projects like the MANOA REDD+, which consists of the conservation of a 74,000-hectare forest located in the state of Rondonia, Brazil, whose biodiversity is threatened by deforestation and lumber theft.

“At Odinsa we have the clear conviction that sustainability requires concrete actions that generate positive impacts, which is why we design, adapt, implement and share industry best practices at our concessions, which allow us to generate shared value for our stakeholders as well as for the company,” stated Mauricio Ossa, CEO of Odinsa.

El Dorado’s air terminal received level 2 – Reduction certification, in the framework of this same program by the Airport Carbon Accreditation of the ACI-LAC, because it reduced emissions intensity by 5% over 2017, and by 25% compared to the previous three years’ average.

This reduction was possible thanks to the implementation of strategies stipulated in the airport’s carbon management plan, which includes energy savings based on improvements to the air conditioning, ventilation and lighting systems, as well as service vehicle fleet renovation, in addition to the execution of offset programs involving planting and maintaining trees at an ecosystem of the dry tropical forest in the Colombian Andean region, and its participation in the BanCO2 initiative.

Other noteworthy aspects of the plan include the short-term launch of the largest air terminal solar panel project in Latin America, developed thanks to a partnership between Odinsa, Opain and Celsia, which includes 10,369 panels that will generate around 12% of the air terminal’s energy, which is equivalent to the energy consumption of +1500 homes. This project will also prevent the emission of

1,375 tons of CO2.

Finally, Odinsa will continue to deploy its shared-value generation proposal and to responsibly manage its concessions, in line with the best practices of its parent company, Grupo Argos, thereby continuing to support competitiveness and development in the countries where it operates through high-impacting, carefully developed projects that generate progress and connectivity.

More about managing energy and carbon emissions and the Airport Carbon Accreditation:

ENERGY AND EMISSIONS MANAGEMENT AT ODINSAABOUT AIRPORT CARBON ACCREDITATION LEVELS:
Structuring
We identify energy efficiency opportunities and create strategies to prevent and mitigate emissions during the construction and operation of infrastructure projects, which also adapt to climate change.
Quantification
We inventory greenhouse gas emissions in our projects, pinpointing sources of emissions and their volumes, which allows us to identify strategies to reduce and optimize energy consumption.
Reduction and optimization
We look for energy efficiency opportunities and implement operational improvements to reduce impacts and generate savings in projects. We also work with roads and airports stakeholders to engage them in efforts to manage mobility impacts.
Offsetting
We implement offset plans through initiatives that protect strategic ecosystems.