Panama aims to supply gas throughout region

Panama has officially opened the first power plant using natural gas in the Central American region, along with a reception terminal for imports of the gas in liquid form, or LNG. Now it aims to distribute the gas throughout the region beginning from within just over a year's time.

"Panama will become an energy hub for electricity and natural gas using LNG, said Andrés Gluski, the executive president of AES, the US company that has invested $1.15 billion in the terminal and a 381 megawatt power plant.

The AES Colón plant will receive cargoes of LNG from the United States which now have access to the widened Panama Canal.