Published: Sunday, August 29, 2021
Bnamericas
This Ministry of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources release was published using machine translation.
The Government of Ecuador, through the Ministry of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources (MERNNR), awarded the Conolophus Renewable Energy Microgrid Project concession to the Gran Solar Total Eren Association . The decision was made based on the analysis of the technical and economic offers presented to the Technical Commission, within the framework of the Public Selection Process developed.
The Minister of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources, Juan Carlos Bermeo Calderón , stated that: “the project will be executed with an investment of USD 63 million, 100% private capital , for the installation of 14.8 MW of photovoltaic generation with batteries of 40.9 MWh in the Santa Cruz and Baltra islands ”.
Conolophus is part of the “Zero Fossil Fuels in Galapagos” initiative, whose objective is to reduce the use of petroleum derivatives in electricity generation for this area of high environmental and social sensitivity in the country. It is estimated that with the start-up of the project, the emission of approximately 16,400 tons of CO2 per year into the environment would be avoided.
In accordance with the policy of the National Government to promote the participation of the private sector in the expansion of electricity generation, the Public Selection Process was structured for the Conolophus project, with the purpose of delegating the development of the work for a period of 25 years, from the signing of the concession contract.
The renewable energy microgrid project also includes:
- Construction of the Sectioning Substation for the Baltra – Santa Cruz Interconnection System.
- The laying of the second circuit between the Conolophus Substation and the Santa Cruz Substation (34.5 kV).
- The implementation of a Micro-Grid Central Control System that will integrate all generation and storage plants (existing and future), through an optimal dispatch of energy, reducing the consumption of diesel currently used in electricity generation and guaranteeing stability. of the electrical system.
The current Electricity Master Plan proposes the expansion of generation in the Santa Cruz – Baltra electrical system, based on the use of solar and wind resources, with projects that aim to replace the current electricity generation based on diesel combustion.
The Government of the Meeting promotes transparent public selection processes, to encourage private investment in the energy sector, through the application of an adequate legal framework, which allows to attract more resources, generate employment, productive and technological development, for the benefit of all Ecuadorians.
Read the original coverage via Bnamericas at https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/ecuador-awards-the-concession-of-the-conolophus-project-in-galapagos
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