Propuesta de una metodología de cálculo del costo variable de producción de centrales hidroeléctricas: creación de una base de datos para la automatización en el procesamiento de la información relacionada con la operación de centrales hidroeléctricas en el Ecuador. Implementación de una herramienta informática para la automatización del cálculo de costos variables de producción de centrales hidroeléctricas. Aplicación de la metodología y herramienta desarrollada para el cálculo de centrales hidroeléctricas actualmente en operación en el Ecuador.

Abstract

This project proposes a technical methodology for the calculation of variable production costs (CVP) for hydroelectric plants currently in operation in Ecuador, additionally a computer tool is included that allows calculating variable production costs in a dynamic and easy-to-understand manner. In Ecuador, on April 1, 1999, an electricity market operations regime began, known as MEM (Wholesale Electricity Market), which is the starting point for different interventions in said market, which is made up of the division of generation activities, transmission and distribution of electrical energy. Therefore, regulations arise for the economic dispatch of electrical energy, in the case of hydroelectric plants, the variable cost of production obeys an assumption of the value of water within the economic dispatch model at the beginning of the wholesale electricity market in the In 1999, this value is embodied in the third transitory provision of Regulation No. CONELEC 013/08, which obeys a value of 2 US$/MWh as variable cost of production for hydroelectric plants. Since said value established by Regulation No. CONELEC 013/08 for the variable cost of production does not have an exclusive technical justification for hydroelectric generation plants, this project develops a study of the factors that make up the CVP of which it is made up. a technical calculation methodology for said costs, considering that Ecuador has small, medium and large hydroelectric generation plants with different technologies. Chapter one of this project describes the basic definitions that must be known to understand all the components described for the development of this project. In chapter two the proposed methodology is described describing the factors of each component which are related to the production of electrical energy, These are: cost for water use, cost for operation and maintenance, and cost for auxiliary services. The sum of these components makes it possible to establish the variable cost of production of hydroelectric plants in Ecuador for different sizes and technologies. Finally, in chapter three it is described how a computer tool (Excel) is used to calculate the CVP of hydroelectric plants in Ecuador in a dynamic way, establishing input variables that the plant must provide. hydroelectric, the computer tool calculates the CVP, and in turn saves these results in a database.