The new plant will be located on the Changuinola river in the Bocas del Toro province, 500km north west of Panama City. With an installed capacity of approximately 223MW, total energy production at the plant is expected to reach over 1040GWh/year. Project features includes a 90m high RCC dam, power intake, pressurised headrace tunnel with a length of 4300m, surface power house, switchyard, substation and a mini hydro power plant located at the dam toe.
AES Changuinola, a subsidiary of US-based AES Corporation, owns the project, with a consortium comprising two Danish companies E. Pihl & Søn and MT Højgaard – forming the Changuinola Civil Works Joint Venture – and alstom of Brazil undertaking the works.
The civil works on site have already started with access roads, camps and excavation works and the project is scheduled for completion in the end of 2010.
‘This is the result of our previous successful work in the Esti hydroelectric project in Panama that finished in 2003,’ said Jacob Lundberg, Executive Vice President of Vattenfall Power Consultant and Head of International division. ‘We are very pleased to yet again work for AES as sub-contractors in this joint venture.’
