Spotlight: Chinese-built hydropower will enable Ecuador to be clean energy supplier

Beset by power shortage and frequent outages for years, Ecuador is now poised to become a clean energy supplier thanks to hydroelectric power plants being built by Chinese companies.

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa pointed out in a recent televised interview the environmental and economic disadvantages of his country's old energy infrastructure.

Before having hydroelectric plants, the country had to burn imported fuels to generate electricity, he said.

Changes are now expected as Chinese companies are working on six of Ecuador's eight planned hydroelectric plants.

The plants are designed to help the government reach its goal of transforming the country's energy sector so that hydropower could make up 90 percent of its national output.x Located in the canton of Quijos in the Amazon Basin, some 100 km east of the capital of Quito, the biggest energy project Coca Codo by China's Sinohydro will have a capacity of 1,500 megawatts and meet 30 percent of the nation's electric energy needs.

Sinohydro's manager in Ecuador, Liu Aisheng, told Xinhua that the project has become possible thanks to good ties between China and Ecuador, the South American country's political stability and its government's interest in developing people-oriented projects.

"Political stability is a decisive factor, which is the basic condition and prime proposition to invest in strategic projects and other energy sectors," said Liu.

Once all the hydropower plants become operational, the country would be able to save some 1.3 billion U.S. dollars a year in imported fuel costs.

Coca Codo alone is expected to save the country 600 million dollars a year, according to Correa.

"If Coca Codo Sinclair had existed some 30 years ago, we wouldn't have an external debt," Correa said.

The project's supervisors said 90 percent of the construction work for Coca Codo, which began in 2009, is complete.

"The project is emblematic of the successful cooperation between the two countries," said Liu, adding that it also demonstrates the Chinese companies' high level of technology and commendable fulfillment of contract.

Liu said that China is willing to share technology for a win-win results for both sides. "Ecuador has abundant natural resources, it doesn't cost much to explore them and it has a good economic performance." Ecuadoran economic analyst Alberto Acosta Burneo told Xinhua recently that Chinese financing of strategic Ecuadoran projects was "very timely," as a foreign debt payment moratorium in place since 2008 made it hard to borrow internationally.

Once in operation, the hydroelectric plants will enable Ecuador to export surplus energy to neighboring Colombia and Peru.

Colombia has already announced it will purchase 7 gigawatt-hours a day from Ecuador. Endi