Ecuador is moving forward with two grid expansion projects designed to address capacity constraints and supply reliability. The $2.8 million Cristianía–Gualo transmission line in northern Quito has reached 98 percent completion, while the government’s $277.7 million interconnection with Peru cleared a key regulatory milestone in September 2026, positioning both projects to strengthen the national system against future deficits.
Empresa Eléctrica Quito is executing the Cristianía–Gualo project, a 138-kilovolt transmission line covering five kilometers and involving 29 metallic structures linking the Cristianía and Gualo substations in northern Quito. The infrastructure will benefit over 240,000 residents across Ponceano, Comité del Pueblo, Carcelén, Kennedy, San Isidro del Inca, Zámbiza, Llano Chico, Llano Grande, Calderón, and surrounding areas in the northeastern section of the capital. The Ministry of Environment and Energy announced on September 10, 2026, that the transmission line had reached 98 percent completion, while the Cristianía substation stood at 80 percent. Environment and Energy Minister Juan Carlos Blum and EEQ General Manager Juan Carlos Monteverde inspected the installation of a compact 138-kilovolt GIS unit at the Cristianía substation, a component required to integrate the new line into the city grid. The ring configuration created by connecting the two substations is intended to increase operational reliability and prepare the distribution network for continued residential, commercial, and industrial growth in the north of Quito.
On September 9, 2026, the Agencia de Regulación y Control de Electricidad granted environmental authorization to the Corporación Eléctrica del Ecuador for the 500-kilovolt Ecuador–Peru transmission line project. The approval allows CELEC to proceed with construction, operation, maintenance, and eventual decommissioning of the Chorrillos–Pasaje–Frontera transmission system. The project encompasses 284.85 kilometers of transmission lines in Ecuadorian territory, running through Guayas, El Oro, and Azuay provinces. It includes a 206.97-kilometer double-circuit line from Chorrillos in Guayaquil to Pasaje, a 77.88-kilometer line from Pasaje to the Peruvian border, and a new Pasaje substation with 600 MVA transformation capacity. Total investment is set at $277.7 million, financed by the Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, the Banco Europeo de Inversiones, and CELEC. The Ministry of Environment and Energy projects the interconnection will enter operation in 2029. The infrastructure aims to increase cross-border exchange capacity from the current 80 megawatts to 680 megawatts, providing Ecuador with an additional supply alternative following the 2024 blackouts that reached 14 hours daily during peak periods in September due to drought affecting hydroelectric generation.
