Ecuador's Celec signs $58.5 M contract and seeks diesel generators to avert 2026‑27 power shortfall

The Corporación Eléctrica del Ecuador (Celec) awarded a US$58.5 million contract to the Honduran firm Comercial Laeisz Honduras S.A. de C.V. for the lease of 45 MW of thermal generation capacity. The deal was approved despite observations from the Servicio Nacional de Contratación Pública (Sercop), which flagged inconsistencies in the pro‑formas and electronic signatures used in the bidding process. Sercop allowed Celec to continue under its own responsibility, and Celec defended the legality of the procedure.

Separately, Celec has opened a tender for diesel‑generator rental to add 15 MW at the Central Jaramijó plant in Manabí, with a reference budget of US$18.03 million. Seven suppliers have submitted offers, and the process remains pending on the Sercop portal. Both actions aim to strengthen the national grid ahead of the expected electricity deficit during the dry season that begins in October 2026, seeking to avoid another blackout like the one experienced in 2024.