Second Meeting on Colombia-Panama Electrical Interconnection Project

This Monday, the second inter-institutional coordination meeting was held to outline a roadmap for the construction of the Colombia-Panama Electrical Interconnection project. During meetings with communities in Darién and Kuna Yala, residents have expressed interest in the project including a road connecting the Pan-American Highway with Mulatupu. The meeting was attended by ministers and vice-ministers of state with authorities from the energy sector. The event, held in the Peace Hall of the Palace of the Herons, was chaired by the Minister of the Presidency, Juan Carlos Orillac, where the progress made during outreach to the communities along the interconnection line was evaluated. Several indigenous communities have already expressed their willingness to accept the project if social components such as roads, rural electrification plans, and support for schools and productive activities are added. "There are social issues here that we must address so that the interconnection project does not face setbacks," Minister Orillac stated, emphasizing that it is a priority project for the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino. It is also requested to electrify 730 homes in the communities of Nurra, Mortí, Ualá, and Sasardí-Mulatupú; to relocate the Asnati School; and to take social impact actions in education, health, food security, and productive activities. The project's calendar also establishes that the remuneration system proposal must be known by early 2026, and the rural electrification regulation must be approved. The financing scheme is also projected to be defined by early next year. The purpose of the Panama-Colombia interconnection is to strengthen Panama's energy security and resilience, enable electricity exchange between regions, and promote development opportunities in the involved territories. Upcoming consultation meetings remain pending in the Wargandí Congress this year, as well as a dialogue with authorities of Alto Bayano in January, and with the Guna Yala Extraordinary Congress in March. The line consists of three sections: the first, 220 kilometers long, between Panama City and Mulatupu, Kuna Yala; then a marine section to Necoclí, in Colombia; and a final land section to Montelíbano. The other two components are road infrastructure plans and rural electrification. Also participating were the Secretary of Energy, Rodrigo Rodríguez, and Zelmar Rodríguez, administrator of the Public Services Authority (Asep). This megaproject is being carried out by Interconexión Eléctrica Colombia Panamá S.A. (ICP), a joint venture formed by Panama's Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica S.A. (ETESA) and Colombia's Grupo ISA. At Monday's meeting, the ministers Lucy Molinar (Education), José Luis Andrade (Public Works), Jaime Jované (Housing and Territorial Planning), and the vice-minister Doris Bill Fábrega (Indigenous Affairs) were present. The electrical interconnection is one of the three components of the so-called Sustainable Environmental Corridor. On the other hand, it was reported that this month the corrections to the Environmental Impact Study presentation must be completed. Its transport capacity will be 400 megawatts.