2024-04-19 20:52:33
COUNTRY. –
The Minister of Energy and Mines, Andrea Arrobo, ruled out this April 12 that the country will once again experience scheduled blackouts to ration electricity. This, despite the fact that she admitted that the country’s reservoirs are once again at low levels.
“Blackouts as such, in the short term, we have ruled out,” Arrobo said during a radio interview, where he explained that the import of electricity from Colombia has also been reduced due to the drought situation that the neighboring country is experiencing.
“Right now every megawatt that we can take advantage of counts, and every megawatt that we can import also counts,” he noted.
The minister explained that on Thursday, Ecuador imported 2.17 gigawatts from Colombia, more than 2% of national demand; however, she highlighted that there have been days where they have barely had to import 1% of national demand.
“Colombia’s electricity supply has decreased. It has already reduced exports since last month. Colombia is experiencing a critical situation. We are talking about a systemic problem due to climate change that is hitting us throughout the region. It hits us more because of the lack of investment in the electricity sector,” Arrobo highlighted.
The Energy Minister indicated that the Mazar reservoir, the largest in the country, is at the minimum level. There is a complex of three hydroelectric plants, with a combined power of approximately 1,700 megawatts.
Meanwhile, the Coca Codo Siclair hydroelectric plant, the largest in the country with 1,500 megawatts, is the main element that sustains Ecuador’s electrical system, supplying more than 24% of national demand.