After more than four years of waiting, Ecuador's National Chamber of Aquaculture has announced that the financing is finally ready to reinforce the electrical network that "will promote the change in the energy matrix" of the country's shrimp sector. Ecuador's Minister of Economy, Pablo Arosemena, and the President of the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), Sergio Díaz Granados, signed an agreement in Spain approving the USD 200 million (EUR 187 million) credit to electrify Ecuador's shrimp farms.
This project, officially announced by the previous executive in 2019, had nevertheless remained without effect. In contrast, the current Ecuadorian government considered it a priority, making it one of its commitments to boost the sector's competitiveness, following the elimination of the differential price of diesel for shrimp farming. Once the power grid is extended to productive areas in Esmeraldas, Manabí, Guayas, El Oro, and Santa Elena, approximately 55,000 hectares of shrimp farms throughout the country will be electrified.
In its announcement of the signing of the agreement, Ecuador's National Chamber of Aquaculture claimed that "promoting shrimp electrification will allow a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and toxic pollutants." In addition, it assured, this transition "promotes the preservation of aquatic ecosystems, greater energy efficiency, and significant long-term savings." The Ecuadorian aquaculture organization has also highlighted that this development aligns with international sustainability standards, conserves water resources, and fosters innovation, preparing the sector for a more sustainable and economically stable future.
"The National Chamber of Aquaculture, in close collaboration with the private sector, will persist in its efforts to materialize this transcendental achievement for the aquaculture industry," the release continued. "The adoption of clean energy sources not only represents an astute strategy from an economic and operational perspective, but also reaffirms the shrimp sector's position as a vanguard in sustainability."
For José Antonio Camposano, Executive President of Ecuador's National Chamber of Aquaculture, this achievement is key to boosting the industry, but he recalled that it must be complemented with other measures. "The pending: elimination of hidden costs and transparency of tariffs (garbage collection, public lighting), financing for technification and complementary works," wrote Camponsano in his X profile (formerly Twitter).
Ecuador's National Chamber of Aquaculture emphasizes that this commitment to the sustainability of the Ecuadorian shrimp sector reflects the aquaculture industry's vision of the future and recognizes the importance of environmentally friendly practices. They assure that by adopting measures that favor the use of clean energy, the industry will not only benefit operationally and financially, but will also gain the recognition and trust of global markets that are increasingly aware of and committed to sustainability issues.
