Environmental permitting begins for 670MW Panama thermo

Panama’s environment ministry has accepted for review an environmental impact study for a 670MW natural gas combined cycle power project.

Generadora Gatún submitted the document – prepared by URS Holdings – for the US$700mn plant in Colón province. The developer holds a provisional license for the project issued by public services regulator Asep.

“Due to the growing demand for energy in the country, the developer has identified the opportunity to invest in the energy sector, through the construction and operation of a combined cycle thermoelectric power plant in the Isla Telfers area that will use a cleaner and more economical fuel, namely natural gas,” highlights the EIS.

The project would also increase firm capacity by incorporating a fuel with low dependence on climatic phenomena, according to the developer, which points to the proposed site’s proximity to existing LNG infrastructure.

Panama was Central America’s first country to incorporate LNG with AES's Colón complex (pictured).

The EIS shows that IFC and World Bank standards, among other norms, would be used in development, and that a survey of residents in the area of influence revealed that 68% expressed a favorable opinion of the project.

Meanwhile, interviews with stakeholders including businesses and community organizations revealed that 35% consider the project as viable due to the distance from populated centers.

The planning stage would take around six months and construction would run 30-33 months.

Also read Project to support gas-fired generation dispatch in Panama advances

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