Ecuador joins the World Energy Council

Ecuador has formally joined as a member country of the World Energy Council in a ceremony in Quito on 22 August.

 

In the ceremony, hosted by Dr Esteban Albornoz Vintimilla, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, the World Energy Council formally welcomed Ecuador into its global energy leadership community.

 

 

 

 

Representing the World Energy Council, Dr Christoph Frei, Secretary General, commented on Ecuador’s energy achievements: “Ecuador has already achieved good energy performance in balancing the triple challenge of the energy trilemma: energy security, affordability, and environmental sustainability. Globally Ecuador ranks 35 among 129 countries in our Energy Sustainability Index and achieves an energy balance score of ABB. In this respect, Ecuador has performed particularly well in energy security.”

The WEC’s Secretary General commented: “We are particularly pleased that Ecuador has formally joined the World Energy Council and we look forward to working with the government and the energy leaders’ community to further strengthen the energy situation in the country and the region.”

Ecuador’s application for WEC membership was approved unanimously by the WEC’s member countries on 22 July.  On 29 July the WEC Ecuador member committee held its first meeting presided by Minister Albornoz and attended by José Antonio Vargas Lleras, Vice-Chair of the WEC’s Latin America and Caribbean region plus other leading figures of the Ecuador energy sector.

Ecuador will be further welcomed into the WEC with the presence of other member countries at the WEC’s Executive Assembly to take place in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, on 22-23 October.  Minister Albornoz has confirmed his attendance at the Executive Assembly, to be hosted by President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia.

 

 

 

 

Watch a TV broadcast (in Spanish) of the event on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiDcux5soo0 - Courtesy of HispanTV.

Photo, left: José Antonio Vargas Lleras (left), Vice-Chair of the WEC’s Latin America and Caribbean region; with Gabriel Argüello, Executive Director of the National Centre of Energy Control (CENACE) and Secretary of the Ecuador committee.

Photo, top: Dr Esteban Albornoz Vintimilla, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy (third from right), serves as Chair of WEC Ecuador