The Minister of Energy and Mines, Fernando Santos Alvite, stressed that there is no risk of blackouts in Ecuador and that although there is a drought, which is the hardest in the last six or seven years, it is being fought through the import of electricity from Colombia and with the recovery of electricity from thermoelectric plants (which run on diesel).
According to Santos, scientists have said that it is a drought caused by global warming. “Yesterday an exhaustive analysis was carried out and the conclusion was reached that it is a severe crisis, but it will not reach the extreme of blackouts,” said the Secretary of State in statements to radio Platinum.
He explained that some 480 megawatts of electricity are being imported from Colombia, which is quite a lot since it is equivalent to more than half of what Coca Codo Sinclair is producing right now (800 megawatts).
The minister assured that the problem would last another eight weeks and that with the aforementioned measures he is sure that we will get ahead.
According to figures from the Vice Ministry of Electricity, since December 23 it has been possible to add more than 320 megawatts that contribute to supplying the energy demand in this dry season.
This new availability of energy comes from the recovery of the national thermal generation park, the incorporation of a new wind power plant and the increase in energy transfers through the interconnection with Colombia and Peru.
Since the last week of December, the recovery of more than 70.66 megawatts of thermal electricity generation, which were not available, was achieved. These are:
- Termopichincha with 18.9 MW
- Electroguayas with 36 MW
- Thermomanabí with 15.76 MW
For energy management, a plan has been carried out that includes the acquisition of spare parts and supplies for the generation plants, management and optimization of logistics and fuel dispatch, executing a strategy for the renewal and rehabilitation of the thermoelectric park, intensifying the monitoring of the electrical system, management with Colombia and Peru to consolidate energy imports.
In any case, the minister assured that Ecuador is looking to generate more energy from the private sector. On the one hand, it is seeking that support for alternative energy such as wind and solar. Thus, in a few weeks, he said, a contract will be signed for the installation of wind energy in Villonaco, Loja. In addition, the project for the generation of solar energy in the sector where the Pacific Refinery was to be built is underway.
In addition, he assured that a contest was called for companies that want to offer electricity generation to the State, except for diesel options, and several offers have been presented. He explained that there are about 800 megawatts that could be generated with this modality. For Santos, this shift towards private participation is important, after having wasted resources during correísmo such as Toachi Pilatón, Manduriacu and Coca Codo Sinclair.
Meanwhile, these days Petroecuador reported that it will deliver one million cubic feet of gas to Termogas Machala so that it, in turn, supplies the country’s electricity sector. This measure is not a real contribution, according to Jorge Luis Hidalgo, an expert in energy issues and manager of GreenPower. He assured, on the one hand, that no more gas will be produced, but that they will take a million from Bajo Alto. For Hidalgo, a more efficient solution would be, for example, to take advantage of the two million cubic feet that are burned in the Bajo Alto burner, which is in front of Amistad. And in a more forceful way, quickly put out the Friendship field to tender.
Additionally, that million feet represents less than 2% of what is required to resolve the drought crisis.
On the other hand, it was also known that Celec will render some energy delivery contracts to Petroecuador insubstantial. When Hidalgo was asked if this could affect the production of the oil company, he considered that it was not. This, because there were contracts that were being underutilized.
In general, Hidalgo considers that there is a lack of order in the electrical issue of Petroecuador. Amistad is not put out to tender, there is no progress with the contracting process to capture associated gas (110 million cubic feet are burned). Nor, he says, has the Shushufindi substation been used. In addition, it is known that there is a 42 megabyte turbine at the Esmeraldas refinery that is being underutilized, since only 12 megabytes are consumed. Instead, they have a 12 mega turbine in customs warehouses. If the latter were used, the 42 megabyte one could be released for the dry season. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
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