Complementing these efforts, the system integrated 596.8 MW of new firm generation and leased capacity in 2025, including Alluriquín (205.4 MW), Quevedo (54.4 MW), Santa Elena (8.5 MW), and leased projects such as KPS–CELEC EP, Esclusas 1 and 2, El Descanso II, and Gas Vesubio, extending contracts through 2026-2027. These initiatives reduced outage risks during peak demand and low hydrology periods, especially following the 2023 crisis caused by historic drought and thermal unit failures.
By early 2026, an additional 280.1 MW had been restored, including full-scale reactivation of Álvaro Tinajero’s unit raising Electroguayas’s thermal availability to 617 MW. The government plans to reinstate 254.26 MW more within 2026, with 90.5 MW already operational in January at Manduriacu, Trinitaria, Álvaro Tinajero, and Machala II. Strategic expansions include leasing 230 MW from Elecaustro, developing the 45 MW Hidroquest project, initiating HidroOriente’s 100 MW by late 2027, deploying 300 MW from leased barge units, and commissioning Villonaco III’s 110 MW. Solar photovoltaic capacity is set to increase by 100 MW progressively through 2026, alongside repowering Termogas Machala to 170 MW by 2027.
These integrated actions underpin Ecuador’s commitment to a more robust, diversified, and sustainable electricity matrix, combining rehabilitation, firm generation additions, and renewable integration to mitigate operational risks and secure supply amid climatic fluctuations.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
