Ecuador restores 65 MW at Termogás Machala as dry season begins with depleted water reserves

The state-owned Corporación Eléctrica del Ecuador (CELEC) brought the 6FA-2 generating unit at the Machala I thermal plant back online on September 8, 2026, restoring 65 megawatts to the national grid. The unit, operated by Termogás Machala in El Oro province, runs on natural gas and represents part of a broader rehabilitation program covering 132.8 MW of thermal capacity that CELEC had previously announced would undergo maintenance and repair. The restored capacity can supply electricity to more than 300,000 Ecuadorian families according to the state utility.

To expedite the restoration, CELEC activated insurance coverage for machinery breakage and sent critical turbocompressor components to a specialized facility in Houston, Texas, for high-grade repairs. The unit’s natural gas operation provides cost advantages over other fossil fuels while reducing emissions compared to alternative thermal generation technologies.

The capacity addition comes as Ecuador faces compounding supply pressures. The Mazar reservoir, which feeds the Paute Integral hydroelectric complex comprising 1,757 MW of installed capacity across three plants, declined from 2,153.32 meters above sea level on July 26 to 2,143.72 meters by September 9, 2026, leaving it 31.72 meters above minimum safe operating levels. River flows feeding the Paute and Pastaza hydroelectric systems registered below historical averages in August as the country entered its dry season, which began earlier than normal in September and is projected to extend through March 2027.

Import options have simultaneously contracted. Colombia declared a supply risk period due to reduced hydroelectric availability and the threat of El Niño, prioritizing domestic consumption over exports. Average power imports from Colombia plunged from approximately 280 MW between August 5 and September 6 to just 9 MW on September 7, 2026. Ecuador can import up to 450 MW from Colombia under normal conditions, a volume that helps preserve Mazar’s water reserves.

The government’s broader generation expansion plan remains incomplete. Ecuador has contracted only 120 MW of leased thermal capacity across four projects—Pascuales, Santa Elena, Jaramijó, and Guangopolo—representing 23 percent of the 525 MW in leased generation the administration announced in April 2026. The full government strategy envisions 920 MW of new capacity through equipment purchases, machinery replacement, and leased units. A 500-kilovolt interconnection with Peru that would expand import capacity is under a second bidding process with adjudication expected between October and November 2026, though operation is not projected until 2029.