La Prensa - The new bridge over Tumba Muerto that goes towards Cerro Patacon and the Centennial Bridge will be opened next week. On Monday, just at the end of the term of President Martin Torrijos, the Ministry of Public Works has promised to open the new vehicular bridge located at the intersection of Vía Ricardo J. Alfaro (Tumba Muerto) and the Avenida de la Paz. However, the construction company building this project, Conalvías, S.A., said that, for now in order to improve the flow of traffic, the will only open the vehicular overpass that takes traffic toward Cerro Patacón and towards Villa Cáceres, because there are still some details left to be finished on the bridge, such as putting up signs, the installation of some light posts, and to finish a security wall. They also clarified that so far the ramps that connect the main roadways to the bridge are not yet finished. (See Comments)

By SHELMAR VÁSQUEZ SWEEN for La Prensa - About 75% of the inhabitants of Panama City will be without potable water for almost nine straight hours. This, thanks to the installation of a value required to finish the expansion of the water treatment plant in Chilibre. In addition, today the eastern part of the province of Panama will be without water from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm die to maintenance work being done on the Centenario water treatment plant. According to the Assistant Director of the National Institute of Aqueducts and Sewage Systems (Idaan), Ámbar Moreno, the work to interconnect the water treatment plant in Chilibre is the basis of improving the distribution of water to the city. He said it will fall to the incoming government to reinforce the distribution lines to sectors like Ricardo J. Alfaro (Tumba Muerto), Avenida Balboa, San Francisco, Tocumen, Chanis, Ciudad Radial and Costa del Este, that are suffering from constant cuts in service and low pressure. "In these areas, where the population has grown drastically, there are still 16" pipes that are about to collapse," he said. The Director of Operations of Idaan, Rodrigo Barragán, said the interconnection will help so that the two water tanks installed in Tinajitas to store 20 million gallons of water to respond to emergencies. During the work that will be conducted this Saturday, Idaan will supply two tank cars of 10,000 gallons each to supply local hospitals.

By SHELMAR VÁSQUEZ SWEEN for La Prensa - The chief of the Special Projects office of the Ministry of Public Works, Carlos Ho, explained that the change in the date for the inauguration of the new "Cinta Costera" (Coastal Strip or expansion of Ave. Balboa) from 21 June to 28 June allows for some important details of the project to be completed. In addition he added that the inaugaration might be pushed back to 30 June, because the terms of the contract signed by the Odebrecht-Cusa partnership permit it. Ho clarified that the project, which is 99.1% completed, could begin to function lacking the completion of some "small" details, which are being registered in a document for the incoming administration to track. Some of the things not yet finished, for example, there are some sidewalks that have not been properly finished, and there are some walls remaining to be painted. “These subjects do not jeopardize the safety of traffic or pedestrians”, he said. (See Comments)

The Latin American Wind Energy Association, LAWEA; is proud to present the second Latin American-International Wind Power Conference and Exhibition: WIND EXPO Panama 2009. It is a pleasure for us to invite you to this huge event, which will take place in Panama City, Panama, in the ATLAPA Convention Center. The dates for the show are September 02 - 04. (09/02/09 – 11/07/08) Giving continuity to the development of the first version of WIND EXPO held in the city of Guadalajara, Mexico in 2008, and in which the fulfilling of our goal of "Unveiling the Power of Latin America’s Wind” was a success, LAWEA now invites you to join us at Panama City in our WIND EXPO 2009, to continue with our mission, strengthen the Latin American Wind Power business. The world is now aware of the huge potential and the opportunities of Wind Power generation in Latin America. That is why now we are going to focus on this WIND EXPO 2009 to find successful strategies that will enable us “Integrating Wind Power into the Latin American Energy Matrix”, the main goal of this show. WIND EXPO Panama 2009 is prepared to fully cover the expectations of those who attend. Among the people who will be present in the event are: experts in the field, leading companies in the sector, project developers, manufacturers of supplies, government agencies, investors, research centers, financial institutions, students, etc. The program consists of three days of conferences and exhibition related to the topic of wind energy, and also counts with a major space for business development. WIND EXPO Panama 2009 has much to offer for all kinds of audiences; including from beginners in this market, to highly recognized leaders in the wind and renewable energy sector. It is now the perfect timing to take the chance to meet the products and services of the leading industries in renewable energies all around the world, and to place your company in a leading position in this huge and fast-growing market! Do not miss the chance to exhibit, sponsor and attend the conferences of the premier, biggest and most important Latin American wind energy show, and thus become a leading player in the sector.

By Gricelda Melo for TVN Noticias - Panama's Comptroller is maintaining his position of not paying for projects that have not been completed, including the "Coastal Strip" (expansion of Ave. Balboa) that, according to what has been programmed, will be inaugurated soon. A big controversy has arisen between the Comptroller and the Ministry of Public Works over a payment advanced to the Odebrecht company that is constructing what is considered to be the "signature work" of the adminstration of Martin Torrijos. The Minister of Public Works Benjamin Colamarco insists that they will not be doing anything illegal. The Comptroller has conducted an exhaustive review of the contract which is why they are maintaining their position of not authenticating this payment until the work has been completed. Although the Comptroller of the Republic Carlos Vallarino in the past few days has denounced irregularities in contracts from several governmental institutions, Colamarco assures that everything is fine internal to the Torrijos cabinet. The "Coastal Strip" and the new road has to be completed by 30 June in order to be inaugurated by the present administration, but with just a few days remaining before the deadline they are working against the clock in this project which has been constructed at a cost of $189 million dollars.

La Prensa - The company COPISA and the National Institute of Aqueducts and Sewage Systems (IDAAN) are working today on the installation of a new interconnection to the parallel line of potable water distribution. The work will be conducted very close to the water storage tanks of Tinajitas in San Miguelito, and are intended to increase the water distribution capacity for large areas of the district of Panama and San Miguelito. The areas that will be without water today are Ricardo J. Alfaro, sectors close to Vía Transístmica, Bethania, Vía España, Vía José Agustín Arango, Chanis and El Romeral, as well as the areas of Cerro Viento, San Antonio, La Siesta, Tocumen, Mañanitas, Pedregal and Praderas de San Antonio. Work on this project will start at 6:00 am today and will finish at 8:00 pm although there are areas that will be without water until Sunday morning.

By Vielka Corro Ríos for La Prensa - More than 48,000 people who get their drinking water from the water purification plant in Chitré woke up this morning without water service, caused by the mechanical failure of one of the motors that pumps raw water from the La Villa river to the plant. This, according to Javier Castillo, the Regional Director of the Institute of National Aqueducts Sewage Systems (IDAAN) in the province of Herrera. Castillo explained that at 6:30 pm yesterday evening one of the mechanical units that takes raw water from the river to supply the water treatment plant in Chitré failed, cause by a fluctuation in electrical power. “When this piece failed it caused a water leak that flooded all of the motors and the entire electrical system," he said. Castillo said that at this moment IDAAN employees are working to dry all of the electrical systems, and to normalize one or both of the electrical motors so that the pumps can continue to extract crude water from the river to be treated. He said that until the repairs are completed the water treatment plant will not function. IDAAN will resort to water tank trucks to supply hospitals and areas at higher elevations that have been without water since yesterday evening. Schools in Chitré have been closed and in government offices schedules have been modified due to the lack of water.

La Critica - The Brazilian company Construtora Norberto Odebrecht S.A. presented a bid of $211.6 million dollars for the design and construction of a residual water treatment plant that will be located in Llano Bonito in the area of Juan Díaz (at the mouth of the Juan Díaz river), that will be built as part of the project to cleanup the Bay of Panama. This stage of the project should be concluded in 36 months, however everything will depend on decisions taken by the new administration, according to Juan Antonio Ducruet, the General Coordinator of the Cleanup Project of Panama City and the Bay of Panama.

By Kathyria Caicedo for Telemetro Reporta - The provision of drinking water will be suspended in the "reverted areas" (former Canal zone) this Sunday, 17 May 2009. According to the National Institute of Aqueducts and Sewage Systems (IDAAN) they will be conducting maintenance work on the pumping stations in Paraíso, Gamboa and Pedro Miguel. Water will be turned off between 7:00 am and 11:00 am in the areas of ACAPOL, Summit, Gamboa, Club de Golf, the Renacer prison, Paraíso, Pedro Miguel and surrounding areas. According to IDAAN water service should be back to normal by 12:00 noon tomorrow.

Panama America - The first stage of maintenance work on the Bridge of the Americas has been completed and all four lanes of the bridge are open once again. The Director of Special Projects of the Ministry of Public Works, Carlos Ho, said there is still a restriction on the passage of heavy trucks and equipment because they are still working on the underpart of the bridge. The maintenance program from the bridge will be completed in three stages. The first stage involved the changing of all of the support cables. The second stage is the painting of the entire structure. The third stage involves the changing of the roadway slabs, including the demolition and removal of the existing roadway and their replacement with prefabricated slabs of concrete. The total costs of all three stages will be more than $50 million dollars and the entire project is expected to be completed in 2011.

By Kathyria Caicedo for Telemetro Reporta - The breakage of a main valve at one of the raw water intake points of the water treatment plant in Chilibre will cause a 50% reduction in potable water production capability of the plant, explained Juan Antonio Ducruet, the Director of IDAAN. He said crews are preparing to repair the massive valve, but those repairs might take from two to three days to complete, and during that period some sectors might not have water, especially those higher lying areas, explained Ducruet. He said they are preparing a contingency plan to ration the water and to control the distribution throughout the city by sectors.

By Kathyria Caicedo for Telemetro Reporta - The new highway from Panama City to Colón will be officially opened today. The thousands of people who have to drive to Colón every day to work will be able to use the new route as of this afternoon. The new highway will be named after “Don Alberto Motta Cardoze" and will be opened this afternoon. According to official information from the secretary of State Communications, Erick Rodríguez Auerbach, the official first drive of the new highway will occur at 3:30 pm, but there will not be any official ceremony held.

By Mirna Ospino for the Panama America - Starting at 7:30 pm this evening (Wednesday 29 April 2009) until 1:00 am on Friday, 1 May 2009, water service will be turned off to the area of Punta Pacifica due to maintenance work that has to be done and the changing of some valves of the drinking water distribution system. The National Institute of Aqueducts and Sewage Systems (Idaan) said they contracted a private company called Construcciones y Alquileres LE-GO S.A. to perform the maintenance work. IDAAN suggested that residents "take the required preventative measures" to allow them to continue the normal functioning of their homes.

Dear Don, Please help us. We live in Los Alto De Las Praderas in San Antonio. We have been continually without WATER since October. We moved here expecting and our contract said that we would have water twenty four seven. Apparantly the company Casa Grande turned over the project to IDAAN ( probably with a money transfer) and since then we have been without water. We are EXPATS and spent our retirement funds to move here and have a good life. I return we have to live without the most essential substance....water. It is a health hazard as we cannot wash our produce, flush our toilets. or wash our hands. PLEASE investigate this and help us live our retirement as we thought we would. Sincerely, Jerry & Diane Walker

Dear Don, We retired in Panana City of San Antonio. Bought a house with Casa Grande and wanted to live happily ever after. Unfortunatly we have to live without water. We have been without water on a regular basis since October 2009. Currently we have been without water for three consecutive days. This is not what our contract stated. It is a health hazard. We are sick and tired of putting up with their excuses. Can you please help us. Sincerely, Jerrry & Diane Walker

La Critica - PRD Vice Presidential Candidate Juan Carlos Navarro rejected yesterday the "dream" of Colombian president Alvaro Uribe, of opening the Darién "cork." (See Comments) Navarro warned that opening the "cork" is not being contemplated and that it will not happen in the next PRD government. "A highway between Panama and Colombia would be disastrous for Panama, because it would put an end to the national parks and ecological reserves of the Darién area, with the indigenous reserves," said the PRD member. He said "a ground line of communication such as this would open Panama up to the devastation of the forests and to excessive and uncontrolled illegal immigration that would expose the country to the problems of violence and other acts of insecurity that sadly still affect Colombia," explained Navarro. (more) (See Comments)

By Rodulfo Barrios for Telemetro Reporta - President Martin Torrijos and his Colombian colleague Alvaro Uribe, who visited several hours to the capital Panama City, inaugurated yesterday, Wednesday, the headquarters of the company that will manage the project of electrical interconnection between the two countries. The Panamanian presidency said through an official press release that this act represents a "transcendental step" that will "unite both nations on the matter of electrical energy." According to projections from both countries, the bi-national interconnection, that will required an investment of more than $200 million dollars to build, will be ready to start operations no later than 2012. Uribe arrived in the afternoon and spoke at the annual conference of business executives (CADE). Later he met with Torrijos in the Presidential mansion, and then later they attended the inauguration of the headquarters of the bi-national company, in which Interconexión Eléctrica S.A of Colombia and the company Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica de Panama S.A. will be partners. (more)

For Construction Pros.com - We all complain about the inconveniences of our jobs from time to time. And in construction those inconveniences can be worse than most. Long hours, exposure to the weather, deadline pressure, months away from families - there are plenty of things to grumble about. But the next time you feel a complaint coming on, remember the workers on the Changuinola Hydroelectric Project in the depths of the Panamanian rainforest. They have to cope with all of the above - as well as scorpions creeping into lodgings, poisonous snakes dropping onto them from trees, black panthers, pumas - even "killer bees." Close to the border with Costa Rica and 600km (370 miles) from the capital Panama City lies Changuinola, a fishing village named after the River Changuinola besides which it is built. Home for centuries to Indian tribes, the only previous outsiders to have ventured to this dense rainforest were banana farmers and adventurous tourists. But now Panama is changing. The substantial expansion of the country's famous canal is just one part of a building boom that is increasingly putting the Central American country onto the map and turning it into an important economic and tourist destination. But this expansion is putting pressure on the country's infrastructure, not least its power generation capability. To overcome this, an ambitious plan is being put in place to harness the power of the country's rivers to provide a sustainable electricity supply. The Changuinola Hydroelectric Project Panama is the flagship scheme. A 90m (295ft) high roller compacted concrete dam, which will be 545m (1,788ft) wide and hold back a reservoir of 122 million cubic meters (159 million yd3) of water, and channel it down a 3,952m (12,970ft) long concrete lined headrace tunnel to a main 207 MW turbine. The project, when completed, will deliver 939 GWh of power a year. (more)

BOGOTA (Dow Jones)--The Panamanian government received a $100 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank to finance priority programs, the IDB said Thursday in a statement. In return for the loan, the Panamanian government committed to reform its energy industry to make it more efficient and more competitive, the statement said. The loan is the first of a series of three. Panama, a dollarized economy, enjoyed a fiscal surplus of 0.5% of gross domestic product in 2008, or nearly $98 million, and expects the same fiscal surplus of 0.5% of GDP this year. Its debt profile is also trending down, to 45% of GDP in 2008 from 54% of GDP in 2007. The country's economy is expected to grow 2.5% this year, following 9.2% growth in 2008. By Inti Landauro, Dow Jones Newswires; 57-1-600 19 80; colombia@dowjones.com

La Critica Once again residents in the districts of Arraiján and La Chorrera will be without water. The National Institute of Aqueducts and Sewage Systems (Idaan) says that on next Wednesday, 18 March 2009, water service will be out from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Potable water service will be affected by annual maintenance work that has to be accomplished on the electrical supply line that runs from the crude water intake at the Laguna Alta plant. The affected communities be Arraiján, Burunga, Cerro Silvestre, Vista Alegre, Juan Demóstenes Arosemena (in the district of Arraiján) and part of La Chorrera.

By Ereida Prieto-Barreiro for the Panama America - The new highway from Madden to Colón will cost Panamanians $6.3 million dollars for every kilometer, thanks to a new addenda worth $50.9 million dollars signed between the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) and the Norberto Odebrecht company. The considerable increase in the cost of the project caused the Comptroller Carlos Vallarino to ask the Director of the MOP, Benjamín Colamarco, to clarify 16 observances contained in the addenda. In the observations there are questions raised, such as why the Vice Minister of the MOP, Luis Hernández, is the one who is signing in place of the Director of the MOP Benjamín Colamarco, and without justification in almost all of the documents, as well as a lack of a financial and technical report justifying the increases in the rising costs of the project. Before these questions, Minister Colamarco justified the addenda for $50.9 million dollars that he asked for, due to the muddy land among other geological problems in the areas along the route where the highway is being built. (more)

By WILFREDO JORDÁN S. for La Prensa - The construction of a new tunnel comprising the second phase of the first stage of the project to cleanup Panama City and the Bay of Panama will take about 42 months, starting from the day the order to proceed is issued. The tunnel, which will move water by gravity, will be 7.5 kilometers long, will start at Ave. Balboa at a depth of 12 meters and will end in Juan Díaz at a depth of 25 meters. The tunnel drilling machine will remove some 53,000 cubic meters of rocky material which will be deposited in Juan Díaz to stabilize the ground where the water treatment plant will be built, according to the General Coordinator of the project to clean up Panama City and the Bay of Panama, Juan Antonio Ducruet. The project has been provisionally awarded to the Brazilian construction company Norberto Odebrecht S.A., that will complete the work for $139.5 million dollars. Ducret explained they first have to obtain a "no objection" or go-ahead from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in order to be able to give the green light for the start of construction of the tunnel in the middle of February. The second phase of the project to clean up the Bay of Panama is being financed through a loan agreement for official aid for development signed by Panama and JICA for 19.3 billion yen, or $213 million dollars.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Crude oil refiner Tesoro Corp said on Tuesday it has signed an agreement with Petroterminal de Panama (PTP), allowing it to transport crude oil from Europe, Africa and the Atlantic region through Panama to its Pacific refineries. Tesoro will ship 107,000 barrels-per-day of crude through the pipeline under a seven-year agreement, the San Antonio, Texas-based company said. PTP has announced it is reversing the flow of its 81-mile trans-Panamanian pipeline, which is expected to be ready for start-up during the third quarter of 2009. Once that is completed, the throughput agreement will allow Tesoro to deliver crude oils produced in Africa, the Atlantic region of South America and the North Sea to the company's five Pacific Rim waterborne refineries. Tesoro leases existing tankage from PTP but PTP has also agreed to build new dedicated tanks for Tesoro on both sides of the Isthmus of Panama which are estimated to be in service by the end of the first quarter 2010. Tesoro plans to use the pipeline and tanks to blend and distribute different grades of crude oils for its own use. Tesoro's stock was 3.8 percent higher, at $9.55, in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

By Renzo Dasso, Business News Americas - Panama's national water and sewerage authority Idaan is working with IDB on an evaluation of the country's potable water and sanitation sector, which will lay the groundwork for an all-encompassing modernization, Idaan deputy director Ámbar Pinzón told BNamericas. "The bank has determined the sector lacks clear policies and strategies to carry out a much-needed modernization program, considering the challenges facing the country," Pinzón said. "Coverage has seen minimum expansion and service quality has to improve. We need to clear up policies to subsidize poor communities. There are no clear criteria for setting tariffs. And currently, each entity carries out little projects with a five-year timeframe at the most," Pinzón said, citing some of the areas Idaan needs to improve. (more)

telegeography.com - BNamericas is reporting that Panama's two mobile operators Cable & Wireless (C&W) and Movistar have reduced their pre-paid calling rates in anticipation of the launch of two new players, Digicel and Claro. Citing local press the report states that C&W has extended the expiry period for all of its pre-paid cards to one year, alongside new promotions including per-second billing and SMS services allowing subscribers with no credit to send a message to a contact to request a call. Digicel and Claro, the latter a subsidiary of Mexican telecoms group America Movil, were awarded 20-year concessions to offer wireless services using 30MHz in the 1900MHz frequency band, with each operator paying USD86 million for the license.

Murad Ahmed, Technology Reporter for The Times Online - Miniature nuclear reactors that can run without human intervention for up to a decade will be available within five years, according to the company tasked with building them. Each one will be smaller than an average garden shed and will generate power for 200,000 homes. The power plants will be almost impossible to attack or steal as they will be encased in concrete and buried underground. They will contain no weapons-grade material. The reactors will cost up to £13 million each but are expected to provide cheaper energy than traditional sources such as coal and gas. As a result, the reactors could provide a crucial new energy source for developing countries or even for remote military installations. They will be delivered on the back of a lorry and will have no moving parts. The US Government has licensed the technology to Hyperion Power Generation, a New Mexico-based company that has already started to take orders for the small power plants and aims to mass produce them by 2013. (more)

By Randy Woods for the Energy Tribune - Mexico's declining oil production is starting to have a ripple effect at home and abroad. The decline of the prolific Cantarell field, along with the inability of state oil company Pemex to bolster production elsewhere, is motivating Mexico’s Congress to hammer out an energy reform deal, while U.S. refineries are being forced to look elsewhere for some of their crude. And in late September, Central America's energy sector faced a major setback due in large part to Pemex's problems, as efforts fell apart to build the Mesoamerican refinery in Panama. (more)

By TAGNIA SHOCRÓN for La Estrella - Internationalization is not limited to one single location and other sites are included in the plan, such as the Enrique Malek airport in the city of David that already receives flights originating from Costa Rica. At the moment the runway measures 2,100 meters in length, but the objective is to expand it to 3,000 meters which would improve the airport's capacity and allow for the landing of much larger aircraft. What still remains to be decided on the part of governmental authorities is who will administer the infrastructure of the expanded airport, which at the moment is under the control of the government. Right now they are considering the possibility of either passing the airport to private hands, or to establish some kind of a mixed administration - both government and private business. COPA supports the business model being used in the Tocumen International Airport, saying it's the most efficient. Due to physical limitations there is no possibility of extending the airport at Bocas del Toro, but the flow of tourists could come in more directly through interconnections from the airport in David. The island of Bocas receives the second greatest number of passengers in the interior every year, with 63,325 passengers last year, surpassed only by David with 122,940 passengers. PROJECTS The Master Plan includes the expansion of the air terminals in David, Kuna Yala, and the airport in the archipelago of Las Perlas. The Enrique Malek airport in the city of David is already receiving international flights. It is the airport receiving the most traffic in the interior of the country.

By Marcia Schlegelmilch for the York News-Times - Cyclonaire Corporation is reaching across borders once again. This time, the York-based company which designs and builds pneumatic conveying systems is providing conveyors and blowers for a large hydro-electric dam project on the Changuinola River in the Panama rainforest. Cyclonaire Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Joe Morris says the project is located in one of the poorest regions of Panama. The establishment of a hydro-electric plant in the area is a joint venture between two Danish companies. Morris points out, tackling a project of this magnitude in an area totally void of infrastructure required Danish corporations to generate their own power, construct 23 km (14.29 miles) of road. A base camp was established, as was a housing camp for Panamanian personnel. (more)

By Anne-Sylvaine Chassany Nov. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Alstom SA, the world's third-largest power plant builder, said first-half profit advanced 36 percent, beating analyst estimates, on record orders for turbines and trains. Net income in the six months through September rose to 527 million euros ($680 million) from 388 million euros, the company, based near Paris, said today. Analyst had estimated 508 million euros, according to a Bloomberg survey. Orders climbed 20 percent to a record 15.4 billion euros, and sales rose 12 percent to 8.96 billion euros. The French maker of the TGV high-speed train said a ``strong'' orders backlog will help it meet a 2010 margin target of about 9 percent. Alstom has fallen 45 percent this year on concern the global financial crisis may hurt large energy projects. Swiss rival ABB Ltd. on Oct. 23 said industrial and infrastructure projects are being delayed, joining Schneider Electric SA and Eaton Corp. in flagging signs the credit crunch may curb spending from utilities. (more)

­ Cellular News.com - Panama's telecoms regulator, the Autoridad de Servicios Publicos (ASEP) has issued a direction to tower owners that they must now start sharing their infrastructure with other operators to cut down on the number of telecoms towers being installed in the country. The authority also said that if companies cannot come to a commercial agreement to share a tower, then it would reserve the right to impose a decision on the companies. Any towers planned before the decree was issued will be allowed to proceed unchanged. However, municipal authorities will not be required to start following the new directive as soon as it becomes law - a delay which will doubtless lead to a surge in planning applications from the tower operators to beat the deadline. There are currently two mobile operators in Panama, Cable and Wireless plus Telefonica. According to figures from the Mobile World database, the country ended Q1 '08 with an estimated 2.7 million subscribers - representing a population penetration level of nearly 83%. Digicel was awarded a license earlier this year to become the 3rd mobile network in the country.

By Carlos Estrada Aguilar for La Critica - The Minister of Public Works, Benjamín Colamarco, refuted criticism regarding increase of the cost of the highway from Panamá to Colón from $215 million to $380 million dollars, arguing that the benefits of this project will exceed any additional costs. According to Colamarco, the positive impact for the country of the freeway Panamá - Colón will be realized not only in the improvements in ground connectivity across the country, but it will also represent a savings for users in terms of time, reduced consumption of fuels and lubricants; better road standards and personal safety, and increases in trip capacities for cargo and passenger vehicles, as well as a substantial contribution to the growth of the country as a regional multimodal logistic platform. "The freeway will be the new 'Dry Canal' of the Isthmus and a fundamental element for the improvement of the competitiveness and the development of the Province of Colón", he said at an event to place the first metal beam of the new bridge over the Chagres River, a critical point in the construction process of the highway that will reach from Madden to Colon. (more)

By Urania Cecilia Molina and José Arcia for La Prensa - The construction of the highway from Panama City to Colón will cost $164.2 million dollars more than originally quoted, the price of which was originally established at $215.8 million dollars. Benjamín Colamarco, the Minister of Public Works, said that when its complete the project could end up costing a total of $380 million dollars. The new price, besides the section specified in the contract (from Madden to Cativá) includes the construction of a new access in the province of Colón. The Road Commission of the Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects (SPIA) had already warned of the cost increases announced yesterday by Minister Colamarco, although their complaint was not endorsed at the time by the Board of Directors of the SPIA. In the end of September, Nicolás Real, the President of the Commission, said the MOP was paying for work that had already been included in other projects. In addition, he thought the project would require approximately $60 million dollars more, due to a problem in the way the advances in the project were being calculated. While the MOP says the project has been 70% completed, Real says it's only 50% done. (Photo Credit: LA PRENSA/David Mesa)

Inside Costa Rica - PANAMA - The electric interconnection project between Panama and Colombia, to become operational by 2012, will need investments of us$207 million dollars, reported industry sources. The transmission line will extend 381.5 miles, of which 170 will be in Panama and 211 in Colombia. The interconnection operations will be in charge of Intercolpa company, joint venture formed by local Empresa de Transmision Electrica, S.A. and the Colombian entity ISA The planned budget includes work to expand substations Cerromatoso and Panama II. As part of the preparations an evaluation will be made on the environment, which will be submitted to the consideration of the corresponding authorities, as well as technical and social studies will have a financial support of us$1.5 million dollars to be contributed by the Interamarican Development Bank (IDB).

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, Oct 02, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Ericsson has signed a sole-supplier agreement with Digicel Group for the nationwide deployment of a GSM/EDGE network in Panama. The strategic partnership will allow Digicel to offer innovative mobile services to its subscribers in Panama and reinforces Ericsson's role as preferred supplier for Digicel's operations in the region. Under the agreement, Ericsson will be sole supplier of a GSM/EDGE network including radio access network, Mobile Softswitch Solution, mobile backhaul solution with optical and microwave products and Convergent Charging and Billing solution. Ericsson will also be responsible for network deployment, systems integration, and learning services. Deployment has already started. The introduction of EDGE capability means that operators can cost-effectively increase data capacity in the network and offer high-speed mobile data services over the GSM network. EDGE provides a cost-efficient way to introduce new services and boost the uptake of mobile data services. Mario Assaad, Group Chief Technology Officer for Digicel, says: "Through our long-term partnership with Ericsson, we are already bringing innovative services and best-quality network coverage to our customers across the Caribbean and Central America. We now look forward to delighting mobile users in Panama in the same way." (more)

PARIS, September 29, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- A subsidiary of GDF SUEZ will start the construction of a 115 MW run-of-the river hydro project following an auction for energy companies which took place on 9 September 2008. As a result of this auction, 100 MW have been sold to distribution companies for a period of 10 years, between 2013 and 2022. GDF SUEZ will provide 6,000 GWh for the length of this period. The hydro power plant will consist of 3 units to be built in sequence down the Chiriqui river. This hydro development enlarges the Group's local offer of energy sources. It will lead to more stable energy prices, reducing the dependency on fluctuating fuel prices which in the end will be beneficial for the end-consumer in Panama. (more)

By María De Gracia for the Panama America - The production of wind power has a high cost. The company AES Company wants to buy wind power generation projects that are in the process of being developed which can receive licenses for construction whose owners cannot finance the costs. Currently AES is building a the hydroelectric project Changuinola I located in the province of Bocas del Toro. "Previously, AES started the evaluation process for the Barrigón project, in Chiriquí province, for the production of wind power, but the location did not meet required conditions for things such as wind speeds, among others, and it did not receive approval from the Public Services Authority," said Javier Giorgio, the manager of AES Panama. "Now we are negotiating with the owners of projects that might be viable to buy them and to develop them as an alternative source of energy," said Giorgio. What happens is that these projects are very expensive and many companies start to develop them and although they are viable, they soon discover that they can not handle the required investment, he added. According to Giorgio, bringing a wind power generation project on line can cost as much as $250 million dollars. He added that due to the confidentiality of the negotiations he could not reveal the names of the projects that AES is interested in. At the moment there are 24 licenses being processed for the development of wind powered generation projects according to the ASEP. The projects are concentrated in the provinces of Colon, Coclé, Chiriquí, Veraguas and the western part of the Panama province.

By Aet Elisa Tejera C for La Critica - Víctor Urrutia, the Administrator of the Public Services Authority (ASEP), said that approximately 748 mega volts of additional capacity will be installed in the Panamanian electrical market between now and 2012. He explained that there are currently more than 30 projects being constructed with a combined capacity of more than 1,052 MW which will guarantee the future of the power provisions for the country. To create order in the power market - according to Urrutia- a series of decisions were taken, such as not granting extensions to projects not fulfilling acquired commitments. Of these, 35 were requests for hydroelectric concessions, 12 for wind power and 4 were thermal projects. Of the 35 canceled concessions, 20 have been adjudged. Fifteen of them are still available. In addition, the government has purchased long term energy with the aim of eliminating purchases on the more expensive spot market, that at the moment make up 23% of the country's energy consumption.

By Mirna Ospino for Panama America - Maintenance work to replace the primary support cables on the Bridge of the Americas will begin on the morning of Thursday, 25 September 2008. The repairs will be completed by work crews from the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) that will close one of the lanes of the bridge. Those drivers who are going toward Panama City from the interior of the country from 6:00 am to 9:00 am will have two lanes, whereas those traveling from Panama City toward the interior will have only one lane. From 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm there will be two lanes going toward the interior from Panama City and one lane heading toward the city. Due to the repairs no heavy cargo vehicles will be allowed to use the Bridge of the Americas, they will have to use the Centennial Bridge until March 2009, when the maintenance work is scheduled to be completed.

The Engineer Online - Alstom Hydro has won a contract with Suez Energy Central America (SECA) worth more than €60m to supply electromechanical equipment to three new hydro power plants on the Chiriqui River in Panama. Under the terms of the contract, awarded in August to a consortium led by Alstom Hydro, the company will supply the turbines, generators and hydromechanical and lifting equipment to the Gualaca, Lorena and Prudencia power plants. Delivery is scheduled to take place between August 2009 and February 2011. The equipment will be manufactured at Alstom Hydro’s factory in Taubaté, Brazil. Hydroelectric-installed capacity in Latin America, including Brazil and Paraguay, is 143.8GW, of which Alstom currently holds a 25 per cent share. (more)

By José Somarriba Hernández for La Prensa - The access ramps to enter and leave the Southern Corridor near Via Israel will be closed from 24 September until 7 October due to the construction of the new Coastal Highway. The Ministry of Public Works (MOP) is asking the nearly 81,000 drivers who use that route on a daily basis to use other routes. Reports from the MOP indicate the closing is due to the installation of the pilings and bridges that will connect Via Israel and the Southern Corridor to the Coastal Highway. (more)

La Critica - Panama hopes to nail down the construction of an oil refinery with Qatar and Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) before the end of 2008, Panama's Commerce Minister Carmen Gisela Vergara said yesterday. Qatar Petroleum and Occidental Petroleum have until 31 December 2008 present the final study for the project and to make a decision on the work, according to details stipulated in a Memorandum of Understanding signed in May 2007 between the governments of Panama and Qatar. According to this memorandum of understanding, the American company is developing a feasibility study to determine if they can proceed to the next phase, which would be the development of the refinery, the plans, and how the structure would be constituted, among other details.

cellular-news.com - Pan-Caribbean mobile operator, Digicel Group is planning to invest at least US$334 million in its new network in Panama - reports the Jamaica Observer newspaper. Citing a report by the International Finance Corporation's (IFC), the paper said that the mobile operator is daunted by the high cost of building out the required rural network in Panama. The Digicel Group owns 75% of Digicel Panama, with the remaining stake being held by the Bettsak Family, a local business group. The IFC tends to offer funding assistance to infrastructure projects in developing nations - and is being tapped for a US$50 million loan. Digicel also expects to contribute to the local Panamanian economy, employing approximately 300 people directly in its operations and leading to the indirect employment of 1000 people. Digicel Central America won the competitive bid process for the GSM license in Panama in May, with Digicel bidding US$86 million. There are currently two mobile operators in Panama, Cable and Wireless plus Telefonica. According to figures from the Mobile World database, the country ended Q1 '08 with an estimated 2.7 million subscribers - representing a population penetration level of nearly 83%.

By Randy Woods, Business News Americas - New Mexico-based Hyperion Power Generation, which makes small-scale nuclear reactors, is in talks with developers in the Cayman Islands, Panama and the Bahamas to install its technology, company CEO John R (Grizz) Deal told BNamericas. "Our first installation is just under five years away in Romania," he said. "Then it follows really quickly in a bunch of island nations and US protectorates in the Pacific. We now have a six-year waiting list." The company, which does not have direct competitors, aims to sell 4,000 units in the first 10 years of production. "My dance card isn't nearly full," Deal said. "We have lots of opportunity to work with people." Hyperion's modular non-weapons-grade reactors are roughly 1.5m wide and provide 70MW thermal or 25MW electric capacity via steam turbines for 7-10 years. They cost roughly US$25mn-30mn each. Production costs are some US$0.05/kWh, according to Deal. "We're talking to a developer in the Cayman Islands who says people there are pretty anti-nuke. We say, tell them they can get electricity for US$0.05/kWh and they're currently paying US$0.48/kWh," he said. "This will be a lot cheaper and we'll prove the safety and security around it. And of course, they were interested in meeting with us." Invented at the US Los Alamos National Laboratory, the units are designed for industrial use such as oil shale and sands drilling and processing and primary power supply for remote areas. BNamericas will run the in-depth interview with Deal in Friday's Perspectives.

Inside Costa Rica - PANAMA - Development of projects to generate eolian energy is among the actions that Panama is promoting to foster using alternative alternative sources, in an environment marked by high oil prices. According to the National Public Service Authority, 20 initiatives of that kind have been granted the relevant licenses to carry out feasibility studies. Several of those plans are for Colon, Cocle, Veraguas and Chiquiri provinces, and other national areas. Experts have estimated that winds in Panama are strong only in summer, thus eolian generation is not guaranteed at all times, because it is necessary a force of at least 20 or 23 feet per hour to move the rotors. However, there are favorable places, subject to assessment by national and foreign investors. In this reference, German Wind 7 AG company and Panamanian Aerogeneradores Cerro Azul Ltd. Are developing in Colon a project estimated at over $400 million that could contribute around 200 megawatts.

La Estrella - The Directors of the Coopemapachi organization and authorities from the Ministry of Farming Development are putting the final touches on an agreement that would allow for a $5.9 million dollar loan for the construction of a palm oil extraction plant in Progresso in the Chiriquí province. At stake is a long standing desire on the part of palm oil growers from all over the Chiriquí province who have almost six thousand hectares dedicated to production. The manager of the Coopemapachi cooperative Leandro Marquínez said that due to the high degree of profitability of the palm oil plantations, those who know the industry have projected that in some five years they will duplicate the area cultivated to more than 12,000 hectares dedicated to the production of palm oil. The government, through the Farming Development Bank (BDA), facilitated the loan required for the installation of the processing plant that will be located in Maria de Progreso, that will operate initially with a capacity to process 15 tons per hour. The building of the processing plant will be directed by an expert from Malaysia who has been specially hired by the administration of the cooperative of producers, who already have two small plants functioning that produce about 400 liters of biodiesel, which they are using to fuel their tractors and general equipment. In any case it is still difficult for Coopemapachi to obtain the oil that is used for raw material.

For several years I have been involved in new market development for wastewater treatment systems and related equipments; this has given me the opportunity to visit central america from Guatemala to Panama, and also to see the recent changes in Panama. 5 years ago, there was some interest in Panama from building companies, who were already investing in beach resorts and islands in Bastimentos but had not turn their heads to the city; it looks like they have found a new market and we can see high rise buildings on construction everywhere; Panama's landscape is changing...a lot. The nice thing about this is that money is pouring into the construction industry in Panama, and all of these investments will re-shape the city, but I am finding a big potential problem everywhere I go: companies are not investing in environmental issues! Contractors and developers are building up fast and 'meeting local standards' but they are relying their water and sewage supply to the city, which is at peak capacity (we can all smell what I am talking about), so they are not interested into treating (asking for reuse is too much) waste water. This will eventually overload the city's sewage system and casue a major havoc. I do hope we find more people that invest in this because they 'know this is the best thing to do' even when it might sound as an expense. We have a great responsibility with the place in which we live and do business, after all, is this issue is not addressed, nobody will want to buy a condo in a city that will smell like that! Congrats to Panama Guide.Com for opening a space in which we can contribute!

ibls.com - Panama''s Interior and Justice Minister Daniel Delgado Diamante signed a memorandum of understanding with the Organization of American States (OAS) for his government to participate in the Hemispheric Network for Exchange of Information for Mutual Assistance in Criminal and Extradition Matters. Signed against the backdrop of the Seventh Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Justice and Attorneys General of the Americas (REMJA VII) that opens at OAS headquarters today, the memorandum of understanding was signed as well by OAS Secretary for Legal Affairs Jean-Michel Arrighi, with OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin signing as witness of honor. (more)

By Fermín Estribí for the Panama America - A crane fell over in one of the lanes of Ave Balboa while it was being used to work on an overpass that will be part of the "Cinta Costera" (Costal Strip). According to reports through television TVN 2, the director of maintenance of the Ministry of Public Works (MOP), Jorge Pitalúa, the operator of the crane lost the balance of the load which is why it collapsed and toppled over into the road. No one was injured or killed in the accident, and the only damages were to the crane and the roadway, and traffic was blocked up because of the accident. (Photo Credit: Gonzalo Bocanegra)