Researchers from the Department of Energy Technology at Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), Alejandro Lyons Cerón and PhD student Hesham Ali, completed an Erasmus+ staff training mobility to Colombia, hosted by Professor Fabio Emiro Sierra Vargas of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia (UNAL). The visit, which took place in February, aimed to enhance collaboration between TalTech and UNAL—additional to the existing cooperation established through the Erasmus+ Interinstitutional Agreement for Higher Education and Staff Mobility (2024–2027)—with a particular focus on sustainable energy technologies.
Held across three major Colombian cities—Bogotá, Medellín, and Cartagena—the mission combined academic exchange, strategic partnership development, and technical visits to key industrial facilities in the country’s growing green energy sector.
Academic Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing
The mobility began at UNAL Bogotá, where the TalTech team met with Professor Fabio Sierra and his research group Clean Development Mechanisms and Energy Management, gaining insights into their work on bioenergy, gasification, pyrolysis, and thermal systems.
They also held meetings with UNAL’s International Office and the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, focused on drafting a framework agreement ("Convenio Marco") for long-term collaboration, as well as establishing future student and staff exchanges between TalTech and UNAL.
In addition, Alejandro Lyons Cerón and Hesham Ali delivered a guest lecture in the Thermal Power Plants course, presenting an overview of Estonia’s energy landscape, TalTech’s academic and research mission, and ongoing projects at the Department of Energy Technology. The session also served to promote future academic mobility and collaborative research opportunities.
Industrial and Technical Visits Across Colombia
The visit also included six technical and industrial site visits, offering a comprehensive view of Colombia’s transition to green and renewable energy:
- Bio D S.A. (Facatativá) – A company dedicated to the production and commercialization of biodiesel and other renewable fuels, contributing to Colombia’s sustainable energy development.
- Biometano San Fernando (Medellín) – Colombia’s first biomethane plant, operated by Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM), which captures biogas from wastewater and upgrades it for injection into the natural gas grid.
- UNAL (Medellín) – The team visited laboratories and met with researchers including Professors Farid Chejne and John Carlos Maya, discussing shared research interests such as thermochemical conversion (experimental and modeling work), waste valorization, and carbon capture.
- Reficar (Cartagena) – One of the largest and most advanced oil refineries in Latin America, where researchers observed state-of-the-art fuel refining processes and explored the integration of green technologies into traditional energy infrastructures.
- Esenttia (Cartagena) – The team learned about the company’s use of a PEM electrolyzer for green hydrogen production, which is integrated into their internal processes—demonstrating a promising approach to industrial decarbonization.
Key Insights and Future Outlook
This mobility reinforced cooperation between Universidad Nacional de Colombia and Taltech. From biomass and biofuels to green hydrogen and biomethane, the initiatives and partnerships explored during the visit reflect Colombia’s growing alignment with EU and Estonia’s energy priorities and TalTech’s research strategy.
The visit also initiated discussions on future institutional cooperation, laying the foundation for joint publications, dual supervision of students, and expanded bilateral mobility opportunities under Erasmus+ and beyond.
The Department of Energy Technology extends its sincere thanks to Professor Fabio Sierra and his colleagues at UNAL for their exceptional hospitality and thorough organization of the visit.