Colombia-Panama Power Grid: Project to Restart
Transmission Line After Two-Year Hiatus
Jul 26, 2014 - Anjalee Khemlani
- latinpost.com
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| FREIWALDE, GERMANY - MARCH 22:
Electricity pylons carry high-voltage cables
on March 22, 2011 near Freiwalde, Germany.
German Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle is
seeking new regulations to accelerate the expansion
of Germany's electricity grid. According to
a recent report partially funded by the German
government, Germany's electricity grid requires
an additional 3,500km of transmission capability
and EUR 6 billion in investment in order to
accommodate planned alternative energy projects,
including solar parks and both land-based and
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After a two-year hiatus, a project to build transmission
line to connect the Colombian power grid to Panama
and provide more electricity to Central America has
been restarted.
The heads of both countries met Friday, followed
by the announcement.
"We hope that by the beginning of 2018, we
could have connected Panama and Colombia with this
project," Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos
told Reuters.
The plan was conceived in 2008, but an announcement
in 2012 detailed the construction of a line that
would provide 300-400 megawatts with an option to
expand to 600 megawatts, and the first power transaction
was slated for next year, according to ELP. They
had created a binational corporation to head the
project, named Interconexión Eléctrica
Colombia Panamá (ICP).
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It was halted in 2012 when the previous Panamanian
president disproved of its cost -- $500 million.
By comparison, the current president, Juan Carlos
Varela, believes the project will give his country
energy security and supports the spread of Colombian-produced
power to other Central American countries, according
to Reuters.
The dates for certain permits and project approvals
from the various government entities were extended
in June.
BNAmericas reported ICP requested an extension to
produce project plans and pursue environmental approvals,
which was approved, and the new deadline is June
2016. It had previously been June of this year.
The transmission line will be built between the
two states and a majority of it will be in Colombia.
"The confirmation of the pledge of the new
government of Panama is fundamental for the success
of the project. Energy security is one of President
Juan Carlos Varela's government priorities, and the
promotion of interconnections is one of the central
pillars of his strategy," Andres Villegas, general
manager of ICP, told BNAmericas.
Read more: http://www.latinpost.com/articles/18005/20140726/colombia-panama-to-restart-transmission-line-project-after-two-year-hiatus.htm#ixzz3HYpXnAp6
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