Review of applications for consultancy for the Chachimbiro geothermal pilot project, Ecuador

The Electric Corporation of Ecuador (CELEC) is currently in the process of reviewing six applications for Phase 1 consultancy services for the construction of a geothermal power plant at the Chachimbiro site.

This update comes after a prequalification stage that CELEC announced before the end of 2024. The project calls for a qualified consultant to carry out the engineering, support/provision/supervision/inspection of drilling services, construction and commissioning of a 5-MW pilot geothermal plant. The purpose of the project is to optimize the design of a future power plant with a planned 50-MW installed power generation capacity.

The first phase of the Chachimbiro geothermal project has received funding support from the Government of Japan. CELEC estimates that an investment of up to USD 170 million will be needed to execute the second stage of the project.

CELEC EP leads the planning, coordination of permits, civil works and contracts, in coordination with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and with the support of the National Secretariat for Public Procurement (SERCOP).

Geoscientific studies done in 2011 to 2012 at the Chachimbiro geothermal site in the Imbabura province in northern Ecuador indicate a resource with temperatures of 225 to 235 °C. Further studies were then done, culminating in an exploratory well PEC1 that was drilled to a depth of 2000 meters. Based on the results, it was proposed to proceed to a field development study and design of the geothermal power plant.