A new, large-scale gas to power project is envisioned for Panama, home to Central America’s first such undertaking after AES Panamá brought online its 381MW plant (pictured) in 2018.

BNamericas has learned that Generadora de Gatún holds a provisional license from public services regulator Asep for the 670MW Gatún natural gas-fired project.

The plant would be built in the Caribbean coastal province of Colón, home to AES’s facilities and proposed gas-fired plants Gas to Power Panamá (GTPP) and Telfers for 441MW and 670MW, respectively.

Additional details were not disclosed by the watchdog and a contact for Generadora de Gatún did not immediately respond to a request for more information.

Panama’s 2020-30 energy roadmap calls for greater use of natural gas and that LNG infrastructure will be a key driver.

Read LNG to drive Panama’s energy hub strategy and Panama approves guidelines for the energy transition agenda

Advancement of GTPP and Telfers, however, have suffered delays, the former curbed by environmental permitting issues and the latter stalled by pending financial close, among other issues.

Gatún’s contribution of 670MW also raises the question of whether the additional capacity is needed, as electricity consumption in Panama is now forecast to grow at reduced levels through 2040.

Read Panama lowers guidance on power load demand

Maximum demand in the country in November hit 1,805MW compared with installed capacity of 3,500MW.

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