After almost three years of construction, the company Island Power, S.A. (IPSA), starts up the Santa Fe LNG Power Plant project, the first isolated liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification station in all of Central America and the first generation plant with natural gas-based internal combustion engines in Panama.
Santa Fe LNG Power Plant is an isolated generation system with six generation units for a total of 10.6 MW of installed power and an annual generation of 27,205,805 kWh of sustainable energy. The energy from this plant will benefit more than 22,000 people in the province of Darién.
This project required an investment of $12 million and generated more than 65 jobs, of which more than 50% were occupied by local labor.
“Through these isolated systems, IPSA brings energy access benefits to the most remote communities in Panama, also generating economic progress,” said Guillermo De Saint Malo Eleta, CEO of Eleta, IPSA’s shareholder group. “Our satellite stations allow LNG and its benefits to be extended to the entire region, also contributing to the development of the local energy sector.”
According to De Saint Malo, compared to other types of power generation technology, natural gas is cheaper and cleaner, significantly lowering maintenance costs and reducing the carbon footprint.
The entry into operation of this plant displaces a bunker-based generation plant and represents 40% fewer CO2 emissions, as well as a 100% reduction in the emission of sulfur oxide (SOx), a substance in acid rain, and 99% of particles to the environment. Likewise, this plant represents a reduction in noise since it has a more advanced acoustic mitigation system.
About Island Power, S.A.
Focused on generating energy in an innovative way, usually in remote and difficult-to-access locations, Island Power, S.A. (IPSA) was born in 2017 led by Grupo Eleta and Grupo Trenco, Panamanian companies with a long history and commitment to excellence.
Since 2018 IPSA has been operating the contract for the supply of energy in the isolated systems of the Republic of Panama, for a total of 19 remote systems that provide energy to communities in the provinces of Bocas del Toro, Darién, and the Guna Yala region, through different generation technologies including diesel engines, natural gas, solar photovoltaic, battery storage and wind energy.
These plants are remotely supervised through integrated management software that allows monitoring and managing all plants from a 24/7/365 Dispatch Center located in Panama City.
About Eleta Group
Grupo Eleta is a Panamanian family business conglomerate founded by Don Fernando Eleta Almarán, and with more than 65 years contributing to the development of Panama. Its investments and activities are diversified in telecommunications, energy, real estate projects, tourism and agribusiness.
About TRENCO
It is a 100% Panamanian company with more than 60 years of experience in gas marketing and distribution, offering gas and energy services and solutions for homes, industries and businesses.
