Generation should be extended. There are 19 hydroelectric entering into service between 2010 and 2011. Authorities are optimistic that these will come on line in time. We enjoy abundant fresh water suppolies here in the mountains in Chiriqui and there are great opportuntities for small hydro projects ranging fro 2 to 10 megawatts with investments for as little as $5 million. Here is the report in April 19th edition of La Estrella.
PANAMA. According to figures from the Public Services Authority (ASEP), the electricity demand doubled their percentage of growth in 2009.
A report on projections of investment in hydroelectric generation provides that the energy demand of the previous year established parameters startling increase. It is about a 12% growth in demand, when the average annual increase in demand for energy was between 5% and 6%, about 50MW. Some important numbers considering that the installed capacity to 2009 is 1.789 million MW.
This growth rate would maintain the generation-demand relationship in a danger zone close to the need to ration energy.
But the hopes of ASEP are nearly a dozen hydroelectric projects that would come into operation between 2010 and 2011.
These projects, whose investment reached $ 1.736 million would allow an increase of 700 MW in the generation and quiet in terms of service stability.
The projects are mainly in the provinces of Chiriqui, Bocas del Toro and Veraguas, for this year are expected to enter the first six operations and 2011 projects will be operational El Fraile (5.3 MW), Pedregalito (20 megawatts), Lorena (35.7 MW) , Prudence (56 megawatts), Baitún (86 megawatts), adding 203 megawatts to the system in that year.
For the same year, also could come to operate Changuinola 1, which will have installed capacity of 223 megawatts.
In the next two years expected to go to work Projects River Piedra (nueve MW), Lower Totuma (five megawatts), El Alto (60 MW), Pando (32.6 MW), Monte Lirio (52 MW), El Síndigo (10 MW) and Bonyic (30 MW). These projects would exceed the installed capacity of 700 megawatts.
ASEP Currently there are 52 applications in the process of meeting the requirements of Environmental Impact Assessment, feasibility of connection to the Transmission System, to obtain the water concession contract, among others.
By investing in renewable generation will improve the country’s energy matrix avoiding dependence on oil to meet energy needs. And there will be better prices and supply securityOne of the big players in the business is AES
AES Panama is the largest electricity generation company in Panama, in terms of installed capacity as well as delivered energy. AES Panama is a subsidiary of AES Corporation, with headquarters in Arlington, Virgina, United States, and holds the 49% of shares in the operations of this generating company. Since late 2007, AES Panama owns four hydroelectric plants with an installed capacity of 482 Megawatts: Bayano (260 MW), Estí (120 MW), La Estrella (47.2 MW), and Los Valles (54.8 MW). Our main clients are the three energy distribution companies in Panama: Elektra Noreste, S.A., Empresa de Distribución Eléctrica Metro-Oeste, S.A., and Empresa de Distribución Eléctrica Chiriquí, S.A., which represent the 95% of the company’s energy sales. The remaining 5% corresponds to energy sales to Great Costumers, which are businesses with monthly energy consumption greater than 100 kilowatts.
We could learn a lot back in the US about how to get off the OIL fix we are on for much of our energy needs.