According to the Minister, the Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, alleged that his country was not in conditions to sell electricity because it is also preparing to face the possible adverse effects of the El Niño phenomenon in its territory.

Without Colombia’s electricity supply, Ecuador is left with three options, none of which alternatives will be urgent, Santos said.

The quickest and cheapest, he explained, is to import natural gas so that the Termogas Machala plant in El Oro province can operate at full capacity.

This thermoelectric plant needs 61 million cubic feet per day of natural gas, but the state-owned company Petroecuador only delivers 21 million cubic feet per day from the Amistad field, the minister specified.

Santos explained the second point of the plan to face the next low water level is to give urgent maintenance to Ecuador’s thermoelectric park.

Other options, he added, would be barges and the purchase of fuel oil engines, fuel made from residual products obtained from oil refining processes, which could arrive by plane.

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