The maintenance, which was scheduled for four days, was extended to five, causing concern among authorities.
From Cartagena, the Minister of Mines and Energy, Edwin Palmawarned about the fragility of the country’s gas system after the delay in the maintenance of the regasification company SPEClocated in the capital of Bolívar.
The maintenance, which was scheduled for four days, was extended to five, causing concern among authorities and energy sector players. During the Energy CongressPalma assured that this situation “reveals a monopoly in import and regasificationbecause five days of maintenance made the country’s hair stand on end, which shows the fragility we have.”
The minister explained that, although the technical work could end in the next few hours, this fact leaves an important lesson: the need to strengthen the energy self-sufficiency and review the country’s dependence on imported gas.
Minutes later, the president of Ecopetrol, Ricardo Roaalso referred to the issue, pointing out that the company continues to work at full speed to guarantee the supply stability and minimize the impact of the contingency.
Also read: Asoenergía warns of risk of gas shortage for the industry during Spec maintenance
“We continue working, Minister, at Ecopetrol at full speed, stressing our assets, in a way perhaps never seen before in the history of Ecopetrol, sacrificing production, turning off units in our refineries so as not to consume gas and making important efforts to supply electricity to fields that at other times were supplied with gas to ensure production,” Roa stated.
The president of the company clarified that, although they cannot yet “declare victory,” the expectation remains to resolve the situation as soon as possible.
The case of the SPEC regasification plant revives the debate on the vulnerability of the national energy system and the urgency of advancing projects that strengthen the internal gas production and guarantee the energy security of the country in the event of unforeseen technical or operational events.
Read here: The maintenance of the SPEC regasification plant in Cartagena advances by 69%
Source: Integrated Information System
