Elecaustro Cancels 100 MW Emre Bey Barge Procurement After Sercop Objections

Elecaustro declared deserted the procurement process for the Emre Bey floating generation barge after Sercop identified regulatory noncompliance and recommended cancellation.

The contract would have added 100 MW of thermoelectric capacity to reinforce Ecuador’s power supply.

Contract Context

During the 2024 power crisis, when Ecuador imposed blackouts of up to 14 hours per day, the government contracted three floating-generation barges from Turkish company Karpowership at a total cost of USD 250 million.

The contracts for the three vessels ended in 2026. Two of them, Murat Bey and Erin Sultan, will continue operating for at least two more years under new contracts tied to the upcoming dry season.

Emre Bey may not continue unless a new contract is completed. As of the article’s close, Elecaustro had not started a new Sercop procurement process.

Emre Bey Timeline

Emre Bey arrived in Ecuador in August 2024 under a USD 114 million, 18-month contract that ended in March 2026. It continued operating under an extension through the end of May 2026 and had been expected to continue until 2028.

The decision to declare the procurement deserted appears in Resolution No. 2026-0102, signed on June 29, 2026, by Elecaustro general manager Marco Toledo.

The re-contracting budget was USD 155 million for 24 months of generation. Elecaustro opened the process on March 13, 2026, and received one offer on March 26 from Karpowership.

Sercop maintained its observations and, on June 1, 2026, issued a mandatory recommendation that Elecaustro apply Article 31 of the public procurement law and declare the process deserted.

What To Watch

Ecuador sought the 100 MW addition to support a national demand averaging 4.300 MW. Investors and energy users should watch whether Elecaustro reopens procurement, whether Emre Bey exits the system, and whether replacement diesel or floating generation can be contracted before late-year hydrology risk tightens.