Ecuador repairs and puts into operation thermoelectric plant during period of blackouts

The state Electric Corporation of Ecuador (Celec) announced this Sunday that it completed repairing a generator at the Esmeraldas I thermal power plant and put it into operation at a time when the country is subject to periods of rationing. energy before a small generation.

Said steam thermoelectric plant, which runs on fuel and has an installed capacity of 125 megawatts of power, operates at full capacity and supplies energy to the National Interconnected System (SNI) that covers the entire country, Celec indicated in a statement.

The Esmeraldas thermal power plant, which has operated since 1979, was intervened between 2021 and 2022 when a new cooling tower and a new boiler were installed, although in August of last year it was disabled due to damage to the generator, the source explained.

He added that in February of this year the comprehensive damage assessment process began, which included the complete disassembly of the generator and the extraction of the rotor.

After knowing the diagnosis, the repair of the generator of the thermoelectric plant was contracted, whose energy generation is essential to face periods of reduction in supply at the national level.

The investment in the repair of the plant amounted to US$ 3.8 million and the deadline for the completion of the work was set for this Monday, added Celec, which is finalizing the details of the commissioning of the generation plant.

The Ecuadorian Electric Corporation added that the production of the “Bay No. 1” of the Esmeraldas II thermal power plant, which increases an additional 42 megawatts to the National Interconnected System.

The Esmeraldas thermoelectric complex is located near the city of the same name, the capital of the coastal province of the same name, located in the northwest of the country, bordering Colombia.

It is located next to the Esmeraldas Refinery, the largest production plant for crude oil derivatives in the country, which also supplies fuel to the neighboring thermoelectric complex.

Celec’s announcement came at a time when the country is embarking on a nationwide energy rationing program, due to the decline in the generation of several hydroelectric plants affected by a drought phenomenon that occurs every year. .

The blackouts, which began on October 27, were however suspended in the last four days by order of the Government, so that citizens could enjoy the festive long weekend for All Souls’ Day that ends this Sunday.

The Quito Electric Company, which distributes electricity to the capital and other areas of the country’s northern Andes, has announced that new blackout schedules will be applied starting tomorrow, Monday.

Ecuadorian authorities had warned last week that power cuts could extend until December if the flows of the rivers that feed the main hydroelectric plants did not improve, especially in the Paute River basin, where the Paute and Mazar plants are located. and Sopladora, which together generate about 1,700 megawatts.

The Ecuadorian president, the conservative Guillermo Lasso, has assured that the energy crisis could be overcome thanks to the supply support offered by neighboring countries, Colombia and Peru, as well as agreements reached with businessmen from his country.

The blackouts, which had not been recorded for almost a decade, have returned and generated discomfort among citizens who have complained about the lack of foresight of the current energy authorities.