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The plant
Fortuna Hydroelectric Plant
Located in the province of Chiriqui in southwestern Panama, this station is surrounded by a nature reserve of lush rain forest. It is connected to the Fortuna Dam, which was completed in 1984 and whose height was further raised in 1994.
Fortuna is the country’s largest hydroelectric power station, with an installed capacity of 300MW (three 100-MW Pelton turbines). It is a model sustainable power station and has been managed since 2006 by Enel, which uses innovative equipment like drones to monitor soil erosion.
Technology
Hydroelectric
Status
In operation
Operational capacity
300 MW
Energy production
1,580 GWh
CO2 emissions avoided
873,645.3 metric tons of CO2/year
Timeline
Milestones
Impact on local communities
A program was launched at Fortuna a few years ago that provides several local families with the tools they need – everything from agricultural equipment to seeds – to create their own home vegetable gardens to grow not just the produce they need themselves every day but also a surplus to sell in the local markets.
Another important project is combatting soil erosion on the banks of the reservoir and sediment production. A native plant called vetiver is used to re-green bare areas along the edge of the lake.
Other projects include studies of local flora and fauna, monitoring the impact of climate change, and park ranger and nature guide training programs focused on developing nature tourism in the area in the future.
To reduce pollution, a shuttle bus service has been organized and is used by 80% of the station’s staff.