Paute — Ecuador
Hydro power plant in Morona-Santiago, Ecuador. Approximate location -2.595, -78.2274.
HydroMorona-SantiagoEcuador
Paute is a 1,100 MW hydro power station in Morona-Santiago, Ecuador. It is operated by CELEC EP. Based on reported annual generation of 5,856 GWh, it can supply roughly 1.7 million homes. It ranks #2 of 34 Ecuador power plants by installed capacity. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 77.9% of Ecuador's electricity; the national grid averages 159 gCO₂/kWh (79.4% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1018618.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 1,100 MW, Paute is well above the median hydro plant in Ecuador (24 MW). Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Load factor
- 61%, from 5,856 GWh of reported generation; the median for 7 hydro plants in Ecuador that report generation is 67%
- Share of Ecuador hydro capacity
- 33.8% of 3,252 MW across 10 plants in this dataset
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest hydro plants in Ecuador
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by CELEC EP.
Local climate & thermal context
This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 2.6°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #2 largest hydro power plant of 10 in Ecuador by capacity.
Ecuador has 10 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 3,252 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
Location
Coordinates -2.595, -78.2274 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Paute?
Paute is a 1,100 MW hydro power plant in Morona-Santiago, Ecuador.
How much electricity does Paute generate?
Paute generates about 5,856 GWh of electricity per year.
Who operates Paute?
Paute is operated by CELEC EP.