According to BNamericas, the projects are 30-MW El Salto, 20-MW Magdalena, 10-MW Palmira-Nanegal and 9-MW Maravilla. They are part of provincial energy company Hidroequinoccio’s development portfolio.

Technical and economic studies to further evaluate their feasibility are scheduled to begin by the end of 2019 and will take about two months.

The El Salto facility traces its roots to a planned hydroelectric cascade system on the Guayllabamba River, initial studies for which were carried out in 2010 to 2012. The proposed location is in the municipality of Pedro Vicente Maldonado, and components include a machine house for two turbine-generator units, water intake infrastructure, release channel and substation and transmission line. The estimated plant factor is 93%.

In the case of Magdalena, the project site is in García Moreno across the border in Imbabura province, and it would pull waterfrom the Magdalena River.

Advanced feasibility studies for Palmira-Nanegal were conducted in 2006. This plant would be built in the area of Nanegal and would use water from the Alambi River and connect to Empresa Eléctrica Quito’s Los Banco substation via a 29-km-long transmission line. The definitive environmental impact study is approved for Palmira-Nanegal, which would cost an estimated US$19.6 million.

And for Maravilla, water would be pulled from the Alambi River in the community of La Delicia. Components include a machine house for two turbine-generator units, water diversion infrastructure, forced piping, discharge channel and substation and transmission line.