26JUN2024- 'Eight Power Plants Needed by 2026- #CENACE into operation by 2026 to avoid power outages-

 26JUN2024- 'Eight Power Plants Needed by 2026- #CENACE - 'Ecuador must put eight power plants into operation by 2026 to avoid power outages- "There are delays in the installation of eight new hydroelectric, thermoelectric, solar and wind generation plants, necessary for the country to overcome power outages. Ecuador has the challenge of launching eight new power plants by March 2026, if it does not want to deepen its electricity crisis. But the plans have delays. 

"The incorporation of the new generation plants on the scheduled dates is the only solution to reliably serve the electricity supply in the country," says the state energy operator Cenace in its Operational Plan of the National Interconnected System. In fact, one of the factors that explains the current crisis in the electricity sector is, precisely, the delay in the start-up of hydroelectric, wind, solar and thermoelectric plants.

Read: CENACE warns of risk of power outages until February 2025 In total, according to CENACE, Ecuador must put 1,802 megawatts into operation between the remainder of 2024 and March 2026. Of that total, 969.32 megawatts correspond to thermoelectric generation plants; that is, they run on fossil fuels.

And the remaining 833 megawatts are hydroelectric, photovoltaic and wind power plants, details the CENACE report, updated in April 2024. Only in 2024 three plants have to come into operation: Third thermoelectric unit of Termogas Machala, for 77 megawatts. Alluriquín Hydroelectric Plant of 205.4 megawatts, which is part of the Toachi Pilatón complex. And Energyquil's thermoelectric generation for 192 megawatts.

But there are delays in putting the plants into operation. For example, 96.16 megawatts of the Energyquil thermoelectric plant were to be put into operation on April 1, 2024, but this did not happen. The latest that is known about this project are the observations made by the former Minister of Energy, Andrea Arrobo, in relation to the fact that the contract would have been signed in the previous government directly and that the energy would arrive when there would no longer be blackouts, since I expected the drought to end in March. However, the dry season lasted and blackouts returned to the country on April 16.

Toachi Pilatón's Alluriquín would only operate in 2025. On the other hand, although the Toachi Pilatón complex, located between the provinces of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Pichincha and Cotopaxi, is made up of three hydroelectric plants, only one has come into operation: Sarapullo with 49 megawatts.

The other two are: Minitoachi, 1.4 megawatts; and Alluriquín, the largest with a capacity of 204 megawatts. Alluriquín must enter operation, according to Cenace plans, in November 2024. However, disputes between the state holding Corporación Eléctrica de Ecuador (Celec) and the Russian company Tyazhmash, in charge of installing the electromechanical equipment of the plant, threaten to delay the commissioning progress of the project.

The problem is that Tyazhmash claims USD 54 million in addition to the initial value of the contract, which was USD 124 million, due to delays in civil works by Celec that have extended the contract period. But Celec argues that Tyazhmash should complete the installation of the electromechanical equipment in September 2023 and added that until May 2024 there were still pending from the contractor.

In the midst of this dispute, the Minister of Energy, Roberto Luque, said that the Government was open to finding a solution to the impasse with the Russian company, as he said that any delay in that project could further deepen the electricity crisis. After that, This June 25, 2026, the general manager of Celec, Fabián Calero, announced a pre-agreement with the Russian company, which would allow conclude the project. Even so, the tentative date for Alluriquín to come into operation is only the first quarter of 2025.

Aromo and Villonaco III, stalled Although the Government of then President Lenín Moreno awarded the projects in December 2020 El Aromo solar and Villonaco III wind power, the concession contracts were only signed in March and July 2023, respectively. Despite the months that have passed, the works have not yet started due to lack of agreement regarding guarantees for the payment of energy to concessionaire companies. 

El Aromo, which will allow the installation of 200 megawatts and will be installed in the land of the former Pacific Refinery. The project will be carried out by the Spanish company Solarpackteam. On the other hand, Villonaco III will generate 110 megawatts and will be located in Loja. The project will be carried out by the Spanish consortium Cobra Zero-E.

#Power outages #Crisis #electricity #wind energy #solar energy #hydroelectric #thermoelectric

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