Ecuador shows renewed interest in development of binational Tufiño geothermal project
Tufiño, Tulcán, Ecuador (source: Jhalvico, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Carlo Cariaga
24 Apr 2025
The Government of Ecuador is revisiting development efforts on the Tufiño-Chiles-Cerro Negro geothermal site, located at the border with Colombia.
The Government of Ecuador, through the Ministry of Energy and Mines, has signed a letter of intent to begin the roadmap for the development of the Tufiño-Chiles-Cerro Negro geothermal project. This is a binational project, located at a site that straddles the border between Ecuador and Colombia.
The project, targeted for a 138-MW development, will be developed in the Maldonado and Tufiño, in the province of Carchi. The development roadmap includes the following activities:
- Update of geoscientific, environmental and social studies;
- Exploratory drilling to validate technical feasibility;
- Comprehensive assessment of technical, environmental and financial feasibility;
- Promotion of the project to attract public or private investment;
- Preparation for the execution of a pilot or modular plant.
The initial stage will focus on conducting pre-feasibility studies and conducing outreach to the relevant communities. The Ministry of Energy and Mines and the local government of Carchi will create a technical group to coordinate and monitor the execution of the project.
The Minister of Energy and Mines, Inés Manzano, emphasized that the project is strategic for Ecuador: “This project represents a key opportunity for sustainable energy generation. Furthermore, it will consolidate its position as an infrastructure that will harness the energy potential of our land.”
It has been several years since there was a clear display of interest in developing the Tufiño geothermal site. Back in 2013, the Governments of Ecuador and Colombia signed a cooperation agreement for the development of the project with a target start of operations by 2018. The target date has evidently gone past and the progress reported on the project was limited to community outreach efforts.
Back in 2013, a company called Isagen had plans to drill a thermal gradient well in Tufiño. However, this did not proceed as the company did not have approval from the local community. According to some community members, the company had not included a large part of the community during the consultation and socialization phases, eventually resulting legal measures against the project.
Source: El Nuevo Ecuador and Pagina 10
