The Ministry of Energy ordered the production of local natural gas and undertake urgent actions for the importation of this fuel to supply the electricity sector, in the face of the extent that is about to begin, in September 2025.
first, the ministry declared as “national Priority” the operation of Friendship field (block 6), with the aim of executing the “urgent and emerging” actions to upload the natural gas production to supply thermolectric thermocals machala and face the September 2025.
The MemM-2025-0011-AM Agreement, signed on May 1, 2025 by the Minister of Energy (Subrogant), Guillermo Ferreira, provides Petroecuador who, in his capacity as operator of the Friendship field, Execute the necessary urgent and emerging actions to increase the production of this area.
In addition, the Ministry orders the state holding of Ecuador’s electricity corporation (Grip) that coordinate actions with Petroecuador to guarantee the supply of natural gas to thermogas machala.
The above must Include the purchase or import of natural gasthe construction of the infrastructure to store and transport the fuel and lift the necessary adjustments in the thermoelectric Pormagas Machala to receive that gas.
Thermogas Machala is the largest thermoelectric, but without gas
And, with 248 megawatts of maximum capacity, Thermogas Machala is the largest thermoelectric plantso it is Key to meet the demand from the electricity sectorbut that’s underutilized and only has an available capacity of 145 megawatts.
So far from 2025 and in a rainy scenario, the plant has worked by delivering some 80 megawatts of electricity to the national system, according to information from the State Energy Operator Cenace.
The main problem of the plant is the Natural Gas And, in fact, a part of his Electric generation comes from diesel, which is more expensive than natural gas.
The friendship field produced barely 18 million cubic feet of gas per day between January and March 2025, of which around 14 million cubic feet of gas a day go to thermogas machalaaccording to Petroecuador data. The rest is destined for self -consumption of the countryside and for industries, especially, from the city of Cuenca (South Central of Ecuador).
That is the maximum of natural gas production that Ecuador has, but the Central requires about 60 million cubic feet to be able to operate at full capacity.
Machala thermogas is composed of two centrals. The first understands two large gas turbines (6AF1 and 6AF2) that have a power around 67 megawatts each.
And thermogas Machala II includes others five smaller turbines of a power of about 20 Megavatios, which today operate diesel due to the lack of gas.
For the electrical sector consultant Gabriel Secaria, he explains that the increase in friendship production would take time, as well as the Import that requires infrastructure adjustments.
“It is not easy or quick to increase the Natural gas production or import. With luck, import, which would be the fastest, would look in a year, “says the expert.
Risks that still persist in the electrical system
The actions provided by the Ministry of Energy in its MemMM-2025-0011-AM Agreement respond to reports on the Current situation of the electricity sector and risk in the supply of the demand, according to the recitals of the document.
Among the documents cited are those sent to the Ministry of Energy on January 18 and 22, 2025, by Office No. CENACE-CENACE-2025-0085-O.
The document stands out, among other aspects, the advances obtained, but also alert risks that still persist in the electrical system.
In addition, it is indicated: “Considering the forecast of the increase in annual demand of 360 MW, the generation that entered and the provision of incorporation of generation, Cenace, based on medium -term studies, evidence that, for the is September 2025 to March 2026the system requires, Additional to what is indicated in the preceding tablesthe Incorporation of 430 MW of energy generation “.
Although, in the exposed documents, the so -called “preceding tables” are not included, so the total need required for September 2025 cannot be projected with official data.
The electrical sector consultant Gabriel Secaria explains that the country would have 4,183 own megawatts To supply your Internal electricity demand. And Colombia sells the 400 megawattsthe country would reach an offer of 4,583 megawatts for a demand of 5,170 megawattsthat is, the Deficit would be 587 megawatts.
If the generators of 241 megawatts hired by the Noboa government planned for Esmeraldas, Salitral and Quevedo enter operation, the deficit would fall to 346 megawatts for this year, but whenever Colombia supplies the demand of Ecuador. If the neighboring country restricts the sending of electricity as in 2024, the Ecuador’s electrical deficit would rise to 746 megawatts.
