Ecuador: Reduced Hours of Shut-Off for Hydrological Condition Improvement
Coca Codo Sinclair, the largest hydroelectric power plant in Ecuador. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
September 29, 2024 Hour: 3:06 pm
The Ecuadorian Ministry of Energy and Mines reported this Sunday that electricity cuts were reduced throughout the country due to improved hydrological conditions after the announcement of rains in the Andean zone and the Amazon in recent hours.
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“Due to the improvement of hydrological conditions in Coca Codo Sinclair, it is reported that the hours of suspension of electricity scheduled for this Sunday, September 29, 2024 were reduced nationally, within the period established in the schedules”, informed the Energy Minister in an X post.
Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric power plant, the largest in the country, was built at the source of the Coca river in the province of Napo, about 150 km east of the country’s capital Quito, produces 1,500 megawatts of power, representing one fifth of the country’s electricity.
Local media inform Secretary of State did not specify the times at which the reduction was applied or will be applied since in cities like Guayaquil the blackouts lasted up to 10 hours divided into different bands.
Ecuador’s president, Daniel Noboa, announced in his networks that he has sent a draft Urgent Economic Law to the National Assembly (Parliament) that will allow the private sector to generate up to 100 megawatts of energy, of the 10 currently authorized.
Last Friday, the Minister of Energy and Mines, Antonio Gonçalves, advanced that the blackouts scheduled for electricity rationing would follow next week, The rains that fell between Thursday and Friday were not enough to reverse the energy crisis that the country is experiencing due to a severe drought in the areas of its main hydroelectric plants.
Autor: ACJ
Fuente: EFE // El Universal
