Panama has signed a $2.6bn agreement with Japan to finance the construction of Line 3 of Panama's Metro.Touted be the largest project in Panama since the expansion of the Panama Canal, Line 3 of the Panama Metro will be 26.75km long with 14 passenger stations.The first phase of Line 3 will meet the demand of 20,000 daily commuters in rush hour in 2020, while the second phase of Line 3 will benefit 31,862 commuters in 2050. Panama president Juan Carlos Varela said in the joint press conference with the prime minister of Japan Shinzo Abe: "The funding granted today by Japan is a recognition of Panama's credibility, stability, and strength. Today's announcement proves that our economy is sustained by solid foundations." The contractor for this project will be chosen through an international public bidding. Construction work will commence in 2017 and the metro line is set to be operational by the end of 2021.
Enel Green Power Brasil Participações (EGPB) has begun construction on Cristalândia wind farm in Bahia, Brazil.Located in the municipalities of Brumado, Rio de Contas and Dom Basilio, the $190m project will have a total installed capacity of 90MW, and is expected to commence operations in the second half of 2017. Upon completion, the wind farm will produce over 350GWh annually, which is enough to power more than 170,000 Brazilian households. It will also reduce carbon emissions by about 118,000 tonnes.The wind farm has been awarded to EGPB, a subsidiary of Enel, through the Leilão de Fontes Alternativas (LFA) — a public renewable energy auction — in April 2015.
Enel Group subsidiary Enel Green Power Brasil Participações (EGPB) has begun construction of the Lapa solar park, which is expected to cost about $175m.The company secured the Lapa solar park project, together with Horizonte MP (103MW) and Nova Olinda (292MW), during the Leilão de Reserva public tender in August 2015.The 158MW solar park is being built on a site located at Bom Jesus da Lapa in Brazil's north-eastern state of Bahia. It will comprise two facilities – the 80MW Bom Jesus da Lapa and the 78MW Lapa.When functional, the solar park will generate close to 340GWh per year, sufficient to power more than 166,000 Brazilian households annually and prevent about 198,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from emanating into the atmosphere.The project will be supported by 20-year supply contracts that will allow sale of specified volumes of energy generated by the plants to the Brazilian Chamber of Commercialisation of Electric Energy (Câmara de Comercialização da Energia Elétrica or CCEE).The solar park is scheduled to become operational in the second half of 2017.
The multi-billion-dollar expansion of the Panama Canal is set to open on 26 June 2016.The project includes expansion of the 50-mile long waterway to manage increased levels of traffic and bigger cargo ships. Work involves construction of two new sets of locks, one each on the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean sides, excavation for new entrance channels to the new locks, widening and deepening the existing channels, as well as raising the water level of Gatun Lake.The project, which began in 2007, was initially scheduled to be completed in October 2014. It has however been delayed owing to construction, labour, and legal issues, as well as discovery of fissures in one of the widened locks.Work on the expansion is currently 97% complete.Panama Canal Authority CEO Jorge Quijano said: "The dream of expansion will become a reality when we inaugurate the biggest infrastructure project in the history of the Canal and the country of Panama."
AGC Asahi Glass (AGC), a manufacturer of glass, chemicals and high-tech materials, has unveiled plans to invest around JPY18bn ($158.1m) in its consolidated subsidiary, AGC Glass Brazil, to build a second float glass production plant in Brazil’s southeast region. The new facility is expected to boost AGC’s glass production capacity in the country to 2.4 times the existing capacity. Work on the plant is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2018.The company said in a statement: “With a relatively young population of approximately 200m people and abundant natural resources, Brazil is expected to maintain its economic growth from a medium and long-term perspective. The demand for architectural glass and automotive glass is also projected to grow. “In such a business environment, AGC will enhance its production capacity in Brazil to 530,000 tonnes per year, up 310,000 tonnes from the current 220,000 tonnes a year.” AGC Glass Brazil was set up in 2011 and became operational in 2013. The company manufactures and supplies float glass for architectural and automotive uses, mirrors, fabricated glass products for architectural use, as well as laminated/tempered automotive glass.
Isolux Corsan has completed construction work on the $100m solar photovoltaic power plant Aura II in the Choluteca region of Honduras.
OHL Concesiones has secured approval from the Metropolitan Council of Lima for a $500m road project in Lima, Peru.
South Korean firm POSCO E&C has secured a $650m EPC turn-key contract from Gas Natural Atlantico and Costa Norte LNG Terminal for the Colon combined cycle power plant and LNG terminal project in Panama.