QUITO, Ecuador 2/8/12 (PennWell) -- Ecuador's 26-MW Ocana hydroelectric facility is expected to begin commercial operations March 1, wire services have reported.
The project is on the Canar River and will produce 203-GWh per year. The plant was originally scheduled for completion in October 2011. A company official says current test runs have been successful.
Project owner Elecaustro is also working on its 21.4-MW Soldados-Yanuncay and 14.4-MW Saymirin plants.
Soldados-Yanuncay will include two run-of-river facilities on the Quingoyacu River. Designs are expected to be complete in July.
Meanwhile, the Saymirin project entails the overhaul of a facility that first came online in 1954. Elecaustro says its plan is to replace two 3.5-MW Pelton-type turbines.
