I was always fascinated by the thought of having a small hydro project and getting “off the grid” when I came to Panama and I wanted to build a home.  Several friends of mine here have solar and micro-hydro projects that power their homes and are exciting to see the ingenuity that goes into the plants.

While a micro-hydro might be good for a home or a small community, the next level is small hydro which can be a 2 megawatt plant and as large as a 10 megawatt plant as I have seen developed here in Chiriqui.  These projects can run anywhere from $1,500,000 to $2,500,000 per megawatt and come with certain Government subsidies.  The next level is your traditional 100 to 300 Megawatt plants and we have one such facility here in Chriqui.  The Fortuna Hydro Power Plant is almost a mile underground and the chamber that had been hewn out of solid rock was big enough to hold an ocean liner or a 747 jet liner.   Water from the La Fortuna dam arrives at the power house after a journey through a solid rock tunnel that is six kilometers long. Then after powering the turbines it continues on through an even longer, eight kilometer tunnel before it returns to the outside. There were three generators standing as high as a four story house. Each one is capable of delivering over 100 megawatts of power. The combined power of all three Pelton wheel turbines supplies almost 35% of the entire electric power in Panama.

We have a property here in Chiriqui that my partner owns that is below Fortuna and shares a water source that powers a small hydro plant adjacent to his property.  The folks involved with hydro here in Panama have been to the property and it appears that another small hydro project is feasible for this part of the Rio Chiriqui.  Here is a Google aerial and inlay of how a “run of the river” installation is feasible on the property.

Here is another Google aerial of the vicinity showing the 366 hectare property, Fortuna and the small hydro project next door.     

We are offering an opportunity to invest in this property and more information on this beautiful river ranch can be seen by clicking here

Caldera, Panama – 366 Hectare Chiriqui River Ranch With Hydro Power Potential – This fully titled finca or farm is located between Caldera and Fortuna and fronts on the Rio Chiriqui with rolling hills and pasture throughout. The property has been studied for a hydro electric project and has excellent potential for a small hydro plant of 10 MegaWatts which would provide for various Government incentives.  Click on picture for more