Bahia las Minas Coal Power Plant Panama
Coal power plant in Colon, Panama. Approximate location 9.3764, -79.8233.
CoalColonPanamasubcritical
Bahia las Minas Coal Power Plant Panama is a 120 MW coal power station in Colon, Panama. It is operated by CELSIA SA [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 150k homes (estimated). It ranks #8 of 21 Panama power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2011, it is around 15 years old — relatively modern. In context, coal supplies about 3.7% of Panama's electricity; the national grid averages 221 gCO₂/kWh (68.0% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEODB0043529.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
Technically it is described as subcritical. Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Owner
Operated by CELSIA SA [100%].
Local climate & thermal context
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 9.4°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
Panama has 1 coal power plant in this dataset, together about 120 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Central 9 de Enero (JB) CCGT Power Plant Panama · Gas · 160 MW · Colon
- AES Colón power station · Gas · 381 MW · Colón
- Gatún power station · Gas · 670 MW · Colón
- MH-1A nuclear power plant · Nuclear · 10 MW · Colón
- Gatun Hydroelectric Power Plant Panama · Hydro · 22.5 MW · Colon
- Madden Hydroelectric Power Plant Panama · Hydro · 36 MW · Colon
Location
Coordinates 9.3764, -79.8233 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Bahia las Minas Coal Power Plant Panama?
Bahia las Minas Coal Power Plant Panama is a 120 MW coal power plant in Colon, Panama, commissioned in 2011.
Who operates Bahia las Minas Coal Power Plant Panama?
Bahia las Minas Coal Power Plant Panama is operated by CELSIA SA [100%].