The Guayas provincial program encompasses four additional substation expansion projects beyond Las Orquídeas. The Esclusas substation expansion targets southern Guayaquil supply reinforcement, while the Salitral facility is being upgraded to 300 MVA transformation capacity to meet growing demand from CNEL EP Guayaquil’s distribution network. The Posorja substation expansion involves two separate projects, one already completed, aimed at supporting industrial, shrimp farming, and tourism development in the coastal zone. The Durán substation expansion has been finalized and energized.
CELEC EP’s broader 2025 investment portfolio reached USD 154.6 million across 11 transmission construction projects nationwide. The company allocated USD 114.9 million specifically to complete three new transmission systems and expand four existing installations during 2025. The Las Orquídeas substation component alone accounts for USD 26.3 million of the Guayas investment, while the broader system infrastructure totals USD 38.6 million when including transmission line construction.
The government projects the Guayas transmission program will generate approximately 600 direct construction jobs and ultimately benefit 4.39 million provincial residents through improved grid reliability and capacity. The targeted operational improvements focus on ensuring continuity for major industrial loads in Guayaquil’s northern zone, addressing what officials characterize as structural transmission deficiencies limiting quality power delivery to residential and commercial consumers in Ecuador’s primary commercial port city.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
