The governments of Panama and Colombia announced their decision to reactivate the binational electrical interconnection project, for which they agreed to hold a meeting next December in which they will seek to “define a concrete action plan” in this regard, reported the National Secretariat of Energy (SNE) of Panama.

The reactivation of the binational Electrical Interconnection Project was decided by the Minister of Energy and Mines of Colombia, Omar Andrés Camacho, and the Secretary of Energy of Panama, Juan Manuel Urriola, within the framework of the IX Energy Week of the Latin American Energy Organization (Olade) that is held in La Asunción, Paraguay, the SNE said in a statement.

The binational electrical interconnection project consists of the construction of a line of about 500 kilometers and 400 megawatts (MW) of power, and is valued at at least $500 million.

The initiative was born in 2009, but has not advanced due to the lack of capital and problems in the technical and socio-environmental aspects, according to the available information.

“This project, which for years faced delays, is now being resumed with the aim of taking advantage of the advantages of a shared infrastructure and moving towards a more sustainable and diversified energy matrix,” said the SNE.