Italian power provider Enel has connected to the grid Panama’s largest PV plant, the 42 MW Sol Real project.
According to a filing with the stock exchange, the plant will sell power to the Enel’s 300 MW Fortuna hydroelectric power station in Panama. The installation is expected to generate around 70 million GWh of electricity per year.
The $55 million project consists of five sub-units, of which the 5 MW Caldera Solar and the 8 MW Sol de David units are located on the west coast, while the remaining three units, the Sol Real (11 MW), the Milton Solar (10 MW), and the Vista Alegre (8 MW), are located in the middle of the country.
This is the second large-scale PV project by Enel in Panama. The company had previously built the 12 MW Fortuna PV plant in Chiriquí, which came online two years ago. This plant also sells power to the Fortuna hydropower station. Both projects were developed by the company’s local unit, Enel Green Power Panamá.
Enel also won a contract to build another PV plant in Chiriquí in a recent auction.
Including the Sol Real project, Panama’s installed PV capacity, which stood at 89 MW as of the end of 2016, has increased considerably. Most of this installed power is represented by PV plants ranging in size from 9 MW to 10 MW. In addition, the country has 12 MW of PV capacity coming from PV systems installed under net metering.
Panama is supporting solar through a solar energy law issued in 2013. The law includes fiscal incentives and auctions for solar projects only.
