Minas San Francisco, Correa's failure to blame for power cuts in Ecuador

Since its inauguration in January 2019, the Minas San Francisco hydroelectric power plant, located between the provinces of Azuay and El Oro, has operated at less than 50% of its installed capacity, which is 270 megawatts.

This project, designed to alleviate Ecuador's energy crisis, has been a resounding failure, with a series of problems that stem from decisions taken during the government of Rafael Correa, who promoted the construction of the plant.

Construction delays and lack of planning The construction of

Minas San Francisco began in 2011, during the Correa administration, and was carried out by the Chinese firm Harbin Electric International. However, the project suffered serious delays, preventing the plant from being ready when the country needed it most

.

While Ecuador is going through an electrical crisis with scheduled outages of up to 14 hours, the plant has failed to operate at full capacity, and the results obtained so far are insufficient to meet the country's demand

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Problems with water resources: An ill-conceived plant

One of Minas San Francisco's most serious problems is that the plant does not have enough water to operate at its maximum capacity. According to electrical consultant Ricardo Buitrón, studies carried out in the 1970s already indicated that the flow of the Jubones River, the main water supplier for the plant, was not enough to generate the expected 270 megawatts

.

However, during Correa's administration, these studies were ignored, and it was decided to build a reservoir of only 14 million cubic meters, when what was needed to guarantee the operation of the plant was much greater.

The lack of an adequate water transfer and a larger reservoir was a key decision that has seriously affected the plant's operational capacity. Instead of having designed an adequate water storage and distribution system, as required, the Correa government allowed the project to move forward without considering these crucial aspects

.

The impact of the drought: Aggravated energy crisis

The energy crisis facing Ecuador has been exacerbated by the drought affecting the country. In 2024, Minas San Francisco operated at just 33% of capacity, generating just 89 megawatts through November, much less than the 270 megawatts

it should produce.

The flow of the Jubones River has been insufficient, with an average of 29 cubic meters per second, when a flow of 65 cubic meters per second is needed to operate at full capacity.

The situation worsens in the months of November and December, when river flows reach their lowest levels of the year, leaving the plant practically out of service.

The corruption behind the project: An unresolved scandal In addition to

technical problems, the Minas San Francisco power plant has been involved in a corruption scandal. The project's oversight firm, Caminosca, has been accused of paying bribes of more than 3 million dollars to public officials since

2012.

This corruption not only compromised the transparency of the project, but also affected the quality of its execution.

The audit report carried out by the company BDO, at the request of the Australian firm Cardno, revealed serious irregularities in Caminosca's financial statements, leading Cardno to file arbitration against the company's former shareholders.

In Ecuador, the case prompted investigations by the Attorney General's Office, involving senior and former officials of the Correa government, including former Vice President Jorge Glas

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A legacy of poor decisions

Minas San Francisco is a clear example of the inefficiency and lack of foresight in infrastructure projects promoted by the government of Rafael Correa. The plant, which was supposed to be a key solution to Ecuador's energy crisis, has become a symbol of the failings of the public administration of

correismo.

The lack of adequate planning, corruption and the inability to make decisions based on solid technical data have left Ecuador vulnerable to an electrical crisis affecting millions of citizens.

As the country continues to face blackouts and growing energy shortages, the failure of Minas San Francisco is a reminder of how wrong decisions and lack of accountability in public management can have devastating consequences for a nation's future.