2024-09-09 07:56:04
Sediment problems continue to paralyze operations at the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant, which generates up to 25% of Ecuador’s electricity.
On July 2, the floodgates of the hydroelectric plant were closed again and energy will be imported from Colombia. The risk of blackouts is still present. What is the Ministry of Energy doing?
On the morning of July 2, 2024, through the X account of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant the following was published:
«The sediments increased and I closed my floodgates again. This time, the teamwork with the other power plants is not enough since we are reaching the peak time of energy consumption (11:00), so they will buy energy from ColombiaThere will be no power outages.
During 2024, more than twenty Coca Codo Sinclair stoppages will already be exceeded due to increased sediment.
The risk of blackouts remains lurking in Ecuador
During a recent interview on Radio i99, the Minister of Energy and Mines, Roberto Luque, said that the energy sector is in a crisis that depends on many factors, caused by the lack of maintenance and attention. This was exacerbated by the premature arrival of the drought in April of this year.
The Ministry of Energy has identified four types of power outages that could occur in the country amid the electricity crisis.
Regarding the massive blackout on June 19, Luque pointed out that the systemic protection system in some areas possibly has calibration problems and that the necessary investment has not been made.
“The energy sector has problems in all its phases, generation, transmission, distribution and apart from these, historical corruption, lack of planning, which we are trying to correct,” he said.
On the bidding process of the Santiago and Cardenillo hydroelectric plantsThe projection is for the medium and long term, in a scenario where “the bidding process could last a couple more years” and its construction, from four to eight years.
Regarding Coca Codo Sinclair, the acting Minister of Energy pointed out that the sediment problem is in the intake, so the plant would not be at risk. He also added that a contract is about to be finalized that will be responsible for preventing the advance of the sediment. regressive erosion.
Finally, Luque highlighted the importance of the reservoirs of the Paute and Mazar hydroelectric plants. These reservoirs function as regulating reservoirs that, although they do not generate many megawatts, do have a large storage capacity for water. This water is essential for regulating the electrical system of the country.
The blackouts of up to eight and nine hours in April 2024, according to Luque, occurred because the Paute and Mazar reservoirs were at minimum operating levels due to the drought.
An additional 437 megawatts of electricity will be contracted
Minister Luque said that so far 200 megawatts (MW) have been activated only with maintenance and 437 MW of new generation is about to be contracted.
The new generation contract includes a generating ship (barge) of approximately 110 MW and the remaining 337 MW in thermal generation permanent ground dual or bunker (fuel).
Luque indicated that bunker is now cheaper. In 2023, the Electric Corporation of Ecuador (CELEC) spent $273 million on diesel for power generation.
“This needs to change. The energy matrix is absurd. We are exporting crude oil, then importing diesel, generating gasoline here halfway, partly subsidizing diesel and partly burning it. What we are doing makes no sense,” he said.
For this reason, last week, through Decree 311, the natural gas regulation was approved as an “incentive for private investment for the import, industry, storage, transportation and marketing of imported natural gas.” In addition, natural gas fields that are available will begin to be put out to tender. (JS)
By: LA HORA Newspaper