Ecuador's greenhouse gas emissions have likely risen in 2024 as the country grappled with an ongoing power supply crisis because of severe droughts, interim energy minister Ines Manzano told Argus.
Although the government has yet to calculate the exact percentage increase in GHG emissions, Manzano confirmed the increase after six months of droughts that led to a significant decline in hydropower output and extensive daily power outages of 3-14 hours from 23 September-20 December.
Thermoelectric plants consumed an average of 26,560 b/d of diesel, fuel oil, natural gas and crude residue from January-October 2024, a 35pc year-on-year increase, Petroecuador data show.
This trend is expected to continue through the end of the year as Ecuador will have installed and rented an additional 400 MW of thermoelectric capacity, including land-based plants and power barges by December. This expansion represents a 5pc increase in the country's total installed power capacity.
In 2023, thermoelectric power plants emitted 3.7mn t of CO2 equivalent (CO2e), marking a year-on-year increase of 48pc, data from the energy ministry show. Drought-related challenges also led to 35 days of blackouts from October-December 2023, increasing reliance on thermoelectric power. That year, emissions from thermoelectric plants accounted for 9pc of the 43mn t of CO2e emitted by the energy sector, up from 6pc in 2022.
The outlook for 2025 suggests little relief from the current trend. By April 2025 the government plans to bring online an additional 1.3GW of thermoelectric capacity, compared with April 2024, while adding only one new hydroelectric plant — the 204MW Toachi-Pilaton.
