Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here’s the latest.
Water plant to be built on Contadora Island
A $13.5 million drinking water and sewage treatment plant is to be built on Contadora Island, as part of a greater effort to clean the Bay of Panama and its surroundings. Contadora, which is one of the Pearl Islands off Panama’s Pacific Coast, is a strategic location, which will help boost the output of clean water once finished.
The project is part of the $150 million Idaan investment plan for this year.
The bids for the project will be opened Feb. 19. Idaan Director Julia Guardia said that building the system will be a key to expanding tourism on the island, which has seven beaches, eight hotels and numerous rental properties. It is well-known as a place for whale watching and diving. Currently water is supplied by wells, which have not been reliable.
Source: La Prensa in English
UK developer connects Panama PV project
Panama has been on the path to clean energy for a number of years now, and has been actively looking for sustainable solutions throughout the country. Recently, a UK developer named “Solarcentury” has completed one of Panama’s first solar farms to be connected to the country’s grid after following a subsidy free route to the spot market.
The 9.9MW Divisa Solar development in the Coclé province was constructed for Panama-based Latin American investor ECOSolar. The project was financed through a non-recourse loan from the Inter-American Development Bank and is selling all of its generated electricity to the Panamanian spot market.
Frans van den Heuvel, chief executive of Solarcentury, which will carry out O&M duties on the site for the next two years, said: “Bringing our vast engineering expertise and management experience, and strong health and safety record, to build one of Panama’s very first solar farms has been an insightful experience for Solarcentury in this nascent solar market.
Source: PV Tech
The 4 Best Beaches In Panama
Panama has a ton of great beaches to choose from, and this time of year is the busiest season for beachgoers; both locals and tourists alike. Recently, in the Huffington Post, they ran down a list of their 4 favorites. Here’s a snippet from the article
City Beaches
The oldest beach community along this stretch is Coronado, about an hour from Panama City. It, along with the adjacent beach town of Gorgona, offers a high quality beach lifestyle with all amenities and services you could want.
Source: Huffington Post
A Simple Guide to Carnival in Panama
Carnaval has come and gone in Panama, and with it, another year of fervent celebrations from both tourists and locals alike. Here is a snippet from our guide to enjoying the annual holiday, and how you can plan for next year’s event.
This weekend, Carnival in Panama begins, and the whole country will be celebrating this traditional 4-day holiday. Carnival holds a deep cultural significance for people all over Latin America and the Caribbean, and Panama is one of the biggest Carnival destinations. Whether you live and work in Panama, are retired in Panama, or just visiting Panama, there is something for everyone during the days of Carnival. And since it’s a national holiday, there are many places you can spend your time celebrating in, depending on your budget and needs. Here are some suggestions for things to do during Carnival days, that each offers a unique taste and experience of Panama.
Continue reading our Guide to Carnival in Panama
