Ecuadorian Firm to Update Environmental Impact Studies for Sopladora Hydro Project

---

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Charlieg Ingenieria y Remediacion Limitada (Quito, Ecuador) has won the bid that took place in June 2007 to update the environmental impact studies (EIS) for Hidropaute S.A.'s (Cuenca, Ecuador) 400-megawatt (MW) Sopladora hydro project. Eight companies submitted offers, and Acotecnic and Charlieg were selected as the most feasible ones.

According to Marcelo Espin, Hidropaute's planning and marketing chief, Charlieg Ingenieria's EIS update should be complete by May 15, 2008. Hidropaute extended the deadline to present offers for the plant's final design. Originally, the deadline was December 14, 2007, but it was postponed to January 14, 2008. Some firms interested in the design are Leme Engenharia, Colpex Project y Asociados, Ingenieros Consultores Civiles Electricos Ingetec y Socoin Carona II Pemegas, among others.

Sopladora will be built on the Paute River in Azuay and Morona Santiago provinces, downstream from the Mazar hydroelectric plant, which is under construction, and the Molino Paute hydroelectric plant, which has been producing 1,075 MW since 1983.

Hidropaute plans to invest $322 million in the Sopladora project. Ecuador's national government plans to increase Sopladora's capacity from 500 MW to 550 MW, which will require an additional $96 million.

Sopladora's feasibility studies were developed by the former Ecuadorian Electrification Institute, INECEL, in 1992. Hidropaute and Conelec, Ecuador's power regulator, signed a contract in April 2007 for the concession to develop the project, which would begin commercial operation by 2011.

By the end of 2007, the technical committee of Ecuador's energy and hydrocarbons investment fund, Feiseh, approved $288 million in financing for Sopladora. Currently, Hidropaute is Ecuador's main power generator, supplying 60% of the nation's energy through the Paute hydroelectric plant.

View Plant Profile - 1072452 1038111 1074999
View Project Report - 71100065 71100016

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading marketing information services company for the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy-related markets throughout the world. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, IIR provides accurate and timely intelligence featuring plant and project information databases, focused market databases, industry forecasting, key industry contacts, industry and territorial map products, direct marketing services and applications, and daily industry news.