Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica S.A. (ETESA) has just started the construction on a critical capacity upgrade to an existing double circuit 230 kV transmission line in David City, Panama. The project is supported by Elecnor, an EPC firm.

ETESA was able to use all 220 of the existing metal lattice suspension and anchor towers without requiring any structural upgrades by using high-performance, high-capacity ACCC conductor. The conductor which is developed and produced by CTC Global, is available through a number of authorized manufacturing partners,

ETESA selected 23.55 mm 2 Dove size ACCC conductor to replace ACAR conductor on the Mata de Nance – Veladero line that had been in service for many years. The transmission line, located in the Province of Chiriqui, comprises a 230 kV transmission line and double three-phase circuit, which starts in the existing S/E Mata de Nance Substation, located in the town of Mata del Nance, and its termination in the existing Substation S/E Veladero in El Veladero. The 84.5-km project includes both river and mountain crossings with a 37-km continuous section of suspension structures only.

Viakable S.A. from Mexico supplied more than 530 km of ACCC conductor for the project and Forjasul S.A. from Brazil provided the installation hardware. CTC Global’s master installers Sergio Rojas and Ismael Dones provided training and support for the project.

This project is the first of many transmission projects that ETESA is planning to upgrade to provide additional capacity to serve increasing loads, both for internal and export purposes. ACCC conductor was chosen due to its excellent performance, both in providing the required capacity and in doing so with the least amount of line losses. Transmission efficiency was important to ETESA for this project and future upgrades.