The Ecuadorian Government announced that this weekend there will be blackouts of up to twelve hours, distributed in different time slots throughout the country, at a time when the eight hours announced since Friday were fulfilled.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines reported in a statement that, due to scheduled and emergency maintenance at the Agoyán, San Francisco power plants and other thermal plants, as well as the new historical lows recorded in flows, “rationing schedules” will be implemented. emerging electric.
These rationings will be in force until today, Sunday, “with a duration of up to 12 hours a day,” at the national level, he noted.
The Ministry noted that, during November, new historical lows have been recorded in the flows of the Mazar Hydroelectric Plant, which is part of the Paute Integral Hydroelectric Complex, and the Coca Codo Sinclair Hydroelectric Plant, which has impacted the generation and supply of energy. .
“These maintenances are essential to ensure the continuity and safety of the National Electrical System, as well as to prevent major failures,” he noted.
Negotiations with Colombia
The Ministry announced that next week the conclusion of negotiations with Colombia is expected, which will allow a significant relief in the country’s energy supply.
On the other hand, the Government has announced that “after more than 14 years of waiting, the Alluriquín hydroelectric plant will finally begin to generate energy.”
«We have started the countdown. At the end of December we will have electricity from the plant,” said the acting Minister of Energy and Mines, Inés Manzano.
The announcement came after the closing of the gates of the Toachi River dam that will allow water to be accumulated to begin testing and subsequent operation of the new hydroelectric plant that has a power of 204 megawatts (mw).
The filling of the reservoir will be carried out in 45 days and will be carried out progressively, to avoid impacts on the infrastructure of the dam and river slopes.
Functional tests of the generation units will begin immediately, which is the main use of the Toachi Pilatón project.
The dam built on the Toachi River is 60 meters high and 170.50 meters wide, while the reservoir is 3 kilometers long and has a storage capacity of 6.77 million cubic meters of water.
As planned, the start of operation of the first unit will be at the end of December, the second in January and the third in February, which will complete the 204 MW of power that this hydroelectric plant has.
Ecuador is going through an energy crisis due to dependence on its hydroelectric plants, affected by the worst drought in the last 60 years, according to the Government, which has forced the country to carry out scheduled blackouts at different time slots.
Ecuador’s electricity generation matrix depends more than 70% on hydroelectric plants, especially Coca Codo Sinclair, the largest hydroelectric plant in the country, with 1,500 megawatts of power; and in the Mazar reservoir, which feeds a complex of three power plants on the Paute River, with a combined power of more than 1,700 megawatts.
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**Interview with Inés Manzano, Acting Minister of Energy and Mines, Ecuador**
**Editor:** Thank you for joining us today, Minister Manzano. This weekend, the Ecuadorian Government announced blackouts of up to twelve hours due to maintenance and low water flows affecting power generation. Can you explain the reasons behind these extensive blackouts?
**Inés Manzano:** Thank you for having me. The recent blackouts are primarily due to scheduled maintenance at key power plants like Agoyán and San Francisco, combined with emergency maintenance at several thermal plants. Additionally, we’ve recorded historically low water flows at major hydroelectric facilities, particularly the Mazar and Coca Codo Sinclair plants. This combination has necessitated “rationing schedules” to ensure we can provide power as safely and continuously as possible.
**Editor:** Could you elaborate on how long these blackouts are expected to last and what measures are being put in place to mitigate the impact?
**Inés Manzano:** The current rationing schedules will remain in effect until today, Sunday, with the potential for blackouts lasting up to 12 hours. We understand this significantly impacts daily life, and we are working diligently to communicate schedules to residents. Our primary goal is to maintain grid stability and avoid larger failures during this critical time.
**Editor:** There seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel with potential negotiations with Colombia for energy supply relief. Can you provide an update on that?
**Inés Manzano:** Yes, we expect to conclude negotiations with Colombia next week. This development would bring significant relief to our energy supply and help us navigate through this challenging period. We are confident that strengthened bilateral cooperation will enhance our energy security.
**Editor:** Additionally, it was mentioned that the Alluriquín hydroelectric plant will soon begin generating energy. How will this project impact the national energy landscape?
**Inés Manzano:** The Alluriquín hydroelectric plant is a project that has been in the works for over 14 years, and we are thrilled to announce that we are starting the countdown to its operation. By the end of December, we will begin receiving electricity from this facility. This addition to our energy mix will diversify our sources and increase overall capacity, which is crucial for ensuring a stable energy supply moving forward.
**Editor:** Thank you, Minister Manzano, for sharing these insights. We appreciate your transparency during this challenging time for Ecuador’s energy sector.
**Inés Manzano:** Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity to share this information and assure citizens that we are working hard to resolve these issues.
