Consortium plans US$30mn hydro plant

A Panamanian consortium plans to build a US$30mn, 20MW hydroelectric project called Los Estrechos on the river Cobre in the Central American country, newspaper El Critica reported. The consortium, Hidroelectrico Los Estrechos, is holding talks with local inhabitants, who have rejected the plans because the project would flood 800ha of land, the group's Marcos Chang was reported as saying. According to information from Panama's public services regulator, the consortium contracted US company Montgomery Watson Harza (MWH) to carry out pre-engineering and feasibility studies. The consortium has until November 6, 2004 to present its environmental impact study. The river Cobre is a tributary of the San Pablo, in Veraguas province.