Lack of legal certainty, electricity theft and social conflicts are forcing businessmen in Guatemala's energy sector to choose to relocate their investments to El Salvador.
Last year, the companies Applied Energy Services (AES) and Corporación Multi Inversiones (CMI), both US and Guatemalan capital, decided to invest $47 million in solar energy projects, encouraged by the facilities offered to the energy sector in El Salvador.
The Ministry of the Presidency of Panama is putting out to tender different types of materials and electrical equipment, for works in several of the country's provinces.
Panama Government Purchase 2018-0-03-0-99-LV-032791:
"Electrical distribution line, transformers, exterior walls, connections, internal installations and lighting in P.
In the first quarter of the year, countries in the region imported $81 million worth of electrical transformers, registering an increase of 9% compared to the amount reported in the same period in 2017.
Figures from the information system on the Market for Transformers and Electric Converters and Reactor Coils in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]
In Panama, the state electricity company has ordered the re-evaluation of offers submitted by the six companies interested in the construction project for the Fourth Transmission Line, after one of them submitted observations on the report by the evaluation commission.
Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica, SA (ETESA) ordereda new partial analysis after having received comments on the report made by the evaluation committee, which were submitted by China Electric Power Equipment and Technology, Co. Ltd. The Commission will have a new period to issue the ordered report (up to 5 working days after the resolution) and, following a new report, the proponents will have another period of time (5 business days after the report is published) to send any observations if they have them.
The electric power generation plant based on liquefied natural gas has started operating in Colón, Panama, with an installed capacity of 381 MW.
The plant, whose construction beganin May 2016, has three generators, three gas turbines and one steam turbine, giving it a total installed capacity of 381 MW.
"...The AES Colón project consists of two stages.The first is the LNG plant and the second comprises a storage tank that is currently 87% complete and is expected to come into operation next year in 2019, explained Miguel Bolinaga, president of AES in Panama, a mixed capital company in which the Panamanian State has a 50.5% share."
The Panamanian government has authorized a $400 million loan between Empresa de Transimisión Eléctrica and Citibank, for the payment of the Third Transmission Line.
As detailed in the August 10 editions of the official newspaper, La Gaceta, the funds will be used to cancel Partial Payment Certificates, a format known as a Turnkey project.
In the first six months of the year, electricity consumption in Panama reported an increase of 3.2% compared to the same period in the previous year.
According to figures from the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic, between the first half of 2017 and the same period in 2018, the country reported an increase in electricity consumption, rising from 5,200,849 thousand Kwh to 5,366,318 thousand Kwh.
Tender for the rental, installation, assembly, maintenance and disassembly of Christmas lighting for the year 2018 in Panama City.
Panama Government Purchase 2018-5-76-0-08-LV-011888:
"The objective is to offer the general public the best lighting and decorative designs that will adorn different parks and avenues in the city of Panama, creating a festive atmosphere typical of the Christmas season.These places decorated with figures and lighting elements will be the attraction and delight of all and especially of Panamanian families.The switching on ceremony for the 2018 Christmas Lighting Project will take place on Saturday, December 1, 2018.
Companies from China and Canada took part in the prequalification process to design and build the Fourth Electric Transmission Line in Panama.
Last Friday Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica, S.A. (ETESA)received documents from Interconexión Eléctrica, S.A., China Electric Power Equipment and Technology Co., Ltd., Chiriquí Transmisora de Energía, Consorcio Four Seasons, Vasco Nuñez de Balboa Consortium and TBEA Co., Ltd., companies interested in the construction work.
In Panama, the 18 photovoltaic generation plants that together have an installed capacity of 143 MW, are still waiting for the government to grant new contracts.
According to statistics from the National Energy Secretariat, last year the country had an installed generation capacity of 3,423 MW, of which 4% corresponded to solar energy parks.
In Panama, a tender is being launched for transportation, delivery of materials and equipment for the design and installation of an electrical distribution line, transformers, free standing walls, connections and public lighting.
Panama Government Purchase 2018-0-03-0-99-LV-032050:
"The contractor (s) will be obliged to carry out the works for the supply, transportation, delivery of materials and equipment for the design and installation of the electrical distribution line, transformers, walls, electrical connections, internal electrical installations and public lighting in various communities in the province of Darién and the Emberá Comarca.
In Panama, the union of private companies has expressed their opposition to the latest increase in electricity rates, arguing that companies and consumers should not have to pay for the "irresponsibility of government administrations."
From a statement issued by the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP):
Last year countries in the region imported $317 million worth of electric transformers, which is equivalent to an increase of 2% compared to the figures in 2016.
Figures from the information system on the Market for Transformers and Electric Converters and Reactor Coils in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]
Plans are underway to build a 9.6-kilometer-long transmission line between the substations of the future GTPP plant and that of Sabanitas, located in the province of Colón, Panama.
The company Martano Inc submitted an Environmental Impact Study (EIA) to build a 9.6-kilometer-long transmission line from the site of the future substation in the Río Alejandro Energetic Park project to the Sabanitas substation, owned by Empresa de Transmisión S.A.
During the first four months of the year, 64% of electricity was generated from hydraulic sources, 21% from thermal, 10% from wind, 2% from solar and 2% was from self-generation.
According to the most recent figures from the Comptroller General of Panama, in April 2018, 908 million kwh were generated, equivalent to an increase of 3.3% compared to the 879 million supplied in the same month in 2017.