Blackouts to be reduced due to rainfall at Coca Codo Sinclair; Weekend rain also raises level at Mazar
The Energy Ministry announced Saturday that power blackouts will average six hours a day from November 5 to 10. The reduction, credited to rainfall near the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric facility, follows last week’s 14-hour blackouts.
Most Ecuadorians saw a reduction in blackout hours over the five-day holiday weekend that began Thursday, with some areas of Cuenca having no blackouts at all.
The Coca Codo Sinclair hydro plant on the Coca River.
Besides higher water levels at Coca Codo Sinclair, the ministry reports that the level of Mazar reservoir in Azuay and Canar Provinces, is rising. The three generation plants powered by the reservoir were mostly idle last week and were shut down entirely early Sunday.
In addition to six-hour blackouts in most of the country, residents of Chimborazo, Santa Elena and Esmeraldas Provinces will experience only four hours a day of power suspensions, the ministry said,
The former engineering director of Coca Codo Sinclair said Saturday that predicting the production capacity of that facility is the “wild card” in determining blackouts. “Higher flow rates on the Rio Coca do not always mean more electricity,” Carlos Salcedo said in a radio interview.
“Because of design flaws, technical problems and government corruption during construction, the facility is forced to shut down at various intervals,” he said. “This morning [Sunday], it is not operating at all because of sediment clearing operations. In the last week it has produced as much as much as 1,100 megawatts but is has mostly operated at 500 or less.”
He added that until water levels allow full operation at the Mazar generation plants, Ecuador’s energy crisis situation will continue. “It is a misunderstanding that higher water levels and Coca Codo mean improving generation and the government fails to make this clear in its announcements. Unlike Mazar, that facility does not have a reservoir to hold and regulate flow rates and because of the other problems it is required to suspend generation at times.”
The Energy Ministry reported Sunday morning that the water level of the Mazar reservoir was continuing to rise following weekend rainfall, rising to more than 2,116 above sea level, an improvement of more than five meters since early last week. The ministry said the reservoir level needs to stand at about 2,125 before full operations can resume.
Drought conditions continue in Cuenca although some areas of the city received light rainfall Saturday and Sunday, with heavier rain falling to the east.
