Ecuador's tender for wind, solar concessions postponed again due to COVID-19

Ecuador’s international tender to pick concessionaires to build and operate the 200-MW El Aromo solar photovoltaic (PV) park and the Villonaco II and III wind farms totalling 110 MW has been postponed for the second time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ministry of energy and non-renewable natural resources on Friday said the deadline to present offers had been pushed to September 9, 2020. The results of the tender process will be known by the end of October.

The decision was motivated by the impact of the coronavirus disease pandemic on the normal development of activities worldwide, the same reason the ministry gave when it postponed the round in April.

According to the original timetable, the tender was due to be concluded on April 15, before it was delayed amid the global outbreak of the novel virus.

The tender will award a 20-year concession for the El Aromo scheme and a 25-year concession for Villonaco II and III as one wind project. Nine companies and groups have passed the pre-qualification round, with six of them vying for the both projects.

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