Los Valles Hydroelectric Power Plant Panama
Hydro power plant in Chiriqui, Panama. Approximate location 8.6777, -82.3476.
HydroChiriquiPanama
Los Valles Hydroelectric Power Plant Panama is a 54.8 MW hydro power plant in Chiriqui, Panama. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 55k homes (estimated). It ranks #12 of 21 Panama power plants by installed capacity. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 53.1% 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 GEODB0043527.
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
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100001023188; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 54.8 MW, Los Valles Hydroelectric Power Plant Panama is below the median hydro plant in Panama (120 MW). Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Panama hydro capacity
- 5.2% of 1,062 MW across 8 plants in this dataset
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest hydro plants in Panama
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Local climate & thermal context
This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 8.7°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
The #5 largest hydro power plant of 8 in Panama by capacity.
Panama has 8 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 1,062 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- La Estrella Hydroelectric Power Plant Panama · Hydro · 47.2 MW · Chiriqui
- Edwin Fabrega (Fortuna) Hydroelectric Power Plant Panama · Hydro · 300 MW · Chiriqui
- Esti Hydroelectric Power Plant Panama · Hydro · 120 MW · Chiriqui
- Changuinola I Hydroelectric Power Plant Panama · Hydro · 221 MW · Bocas del Toro
- Moin I Power Plant Costa Rica · Oil · 32 MW · Limon
- Moin II and III Power Plant Costa Rica · Oil · 234.4 MW · Limon
Location
Coordinates 8.6777, -82.3476 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Los Valles Hydroelectric Power Plant Panama?
Los Valles Hydroelectric Power Plant Panama is a 54.8 MW hydro power plant in Chiriqui, Panama.