Rains increase electric production at Mazar-Paute but lack of maintenance plagues hydro system

Energy Minister Energy Roberto Luque said Wednesday that two of the three hydroelectric generation plants at the Mazar-Paute complex are increasing power output as a result of recent rains. “The reservoir levels on the Rio Paute have risen quickly over the past week, and electric production capacity is improving,” he said at a Quito news conference.

A Cuenca city utility worker unclogs a drain Tuesday on Av. Las Americas following heavy rain.

“We are still below optimal production at Mazar-Paute but the trend is upward and, if this continues, it will allow us to end power interruptions,” Luque added.

He said the increased output is “welcomed news” since urgent maintenance work is required at the Coca Codo Sinclair generation facility east of Quito, the country’s second larges hydro plant. “Due to lower reservoir levels in recent months, large concentrations of sediment have accumulated near the dam and this must be cleared to prevent damage to the turbines,” according to Luque. “Because of the work, we must maintain our blackout schedule, but we will be able to reduce the length of blackouts once it is completed.”

In addition to drought conditions, Ecuador’s hydro generation facilities have been plagued by maintenance issues, Luque says. “Many of the plants are old and require continuing repairs and upgrades to function properly and this work has been neglected over the years. Establishing better maintenance schedules and providing funding for repairs is one area the Energy Ministry is working on.”

He said that more rain is expected through the weekend. “We need days and days of rain to restore proper function of the facilities and are hopeful weather conditions of the last few days will continue. Besides increasing the flow of rivers, we need to restore the watersheds that feed them to provide a consistent flow during dry periods.”

On Tuesday and Wednesday, heavy rains caused flooding in Cuenca, Quito and Riobamba.