Technical teams from Celec’s Hidrotoapi business unit conducted comprehensive inspections of the turbine runner and distributor vanes during the intervention completed July 8. Maintenance scope included servicing the unit one generator, instrumentation systems, bearing oil circulation mechanisms, and shaft verticality verification. Electronic specialists handled instrumentation maintenance while mechanical personnel addressed the lubrication system. Additional work encompassed cleaning water-air heat exchangers in the generator, the water-oil exchanger for the turbine guide bearing, and revision of the turbine aeration system. Electrical teams maintained the unit’s excitation transformer.
The maintenance schedule synchronizes with Ecuador’s seasonal generation patterns, as production from Amazon basin plants diminishes during dry months from October through March. Full availability of Sarapullo, Alluriquín, and the Toachi mini-central proves critical during these estiaje periods when the national system requires alternative generation sources. The complex spans Pichincha, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, and Cotopaxi provinces.
Earlier in February 2026, Celec conducted sediment removal operations at the Toachi dam and simultaneous scheduled maintenance at the Alluriquín central. During those operations, a minor water overflow incident at the 1.4 MW mini-central machine house occurred during hydraulic testing, though the unit was offline and no personnel injuries or infrastructure damage resulted. All corporate assets carry insurance coverage.
The Ministry of Environment and Energy leads a USD 2 million adaptation project in the upper Río Blanco watershed supported by the Adaptation Fund, coordinating with FAO and CAF on sediment management and ecosystem protection measures.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
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