MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colombia to supply electricity to Ecuador to solve energy crisis

Lasso thanked Petro for his help

In a move to solve the current energy crisis affecting some Ecuadorian towns, Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso announced on X after a meeting Saturday with Gustavo Petro at the Casa de Nariño in Bogota that Colombia would be supplying 450 megawatts of electricity.

Ecuador is currently applying power cuts to curb energy consumption. 

“In the coming hours, we will solve the energy crisis facing Ecuador. The meeting we held with President @petrogustavo was successful. Colombia will provide us with the 450 mw which is the maximum energy supported by the power interconnection line between the two countries,” wrote Lasso.

He added that binational work tables will be held “to define the form of payment that could be with energy or oil.” And although he thanked “Petro for his support to Ecuador” he made no mention as to when this new energy would become available.

Lasso also pledged to hold meetings in Quito with businessmen from the energy sector there and in Guayaquil who have private plants that can supply around 100 megawatts of energy to the national grid.

Since Friday, Ecuadorians have been suffering power cuts of up to four hours, due to the worst drought in the last 50 years, especially in the Amazon region, where 90 percent of the country's power plants are located, and to energy consumption that has grown by 15 percent, according to the Government.

The energy rationing, which according to the authorities of the electric sector could last until December, has caused public rejection, as well as the productive sector, which foresees millions of dollars in losses.

The electricity sector was declared under emergency on Oct. 18 to safeguard the supply to the population and to accelerate energy contracting processes to cover the country's deficit, estimated at some 400 megawatts.

(Source: Xinhua)