Chevron Panama Solar Project Breaks Ground at Colón Fuel Terminal
Panama · ENERGY
Key Facts
- —What happened Chevron laid the first stone for a solar plant at its Bahía Las Minas fuel terminal in Colón on 20 August 2026.
- —How big The plant has 4.03 MWp of capacity, will generate an estimated 5.15 GWh per year and avoid 1,809.3 tonnes of CO2 annually.
- —The catch Chevron has not disclosed how much it is investing in the project.
- —Who pays Chevron is the offtaker; Celsia, a Grupo Argos company, is the partner installing 6,714 panels over four hectares under a March 2024 agreement.
- —What comes next Construction proceeds toward a plant designed for a roughly 30-year operating life.
The 4.03 MWp plant with Celsia will power Panama’s largest fuel-storage facility for roughly 30 years.
Chevron laid the first stone on 20 August 2026 for a solar power project at its fuel terminal in Bahía Las Minas, Colón, the largest fuel-storage facility in Panama. The 4.03 MWp Chevron Panama solar installation is expected to generate about 5.15 GWh of renewable electricity a year and cover 100% of the power used by terminal operations.
Chevron Panama Solar Plant to Power Entire Terminal
The Chevron Panama solar project will be built at the company’s fuel terminal in Bahía Las Minas, in the province of Colón on Panama’s Caribbean coast. The site is the largest fuel-storage facility in the country.
With 4.03 MWp of capacity, the plant is expected to produce an estimated 5.15 GWh of electricity each year. That output is designed to cover 100% of the power consumed by the terminal’s operations.
The installation is planned for a service life of roughly 30 years. Once running, it will also avoid about 1,809.3 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
For an industrial site that moves fuel around the clock, fully covering its own power demand with on-site renewables is a notable operational shift.
The first-stone ceremony marks the formal start of construction, a milestone the company chose to celebrate publicly with government officials present. Site preparation and panel installation will follow.
Celsia Partnership and Project Design
Chevron’s partner on the project is Celsia, the energy company of Colombia’s Grupo Argos. The two companies reached their agreement in March 2024.
Under that agreement, Celsia will install 6,714 solar panels spread over four hectares of terminal land. The design matches the 4.03 MWp capacity announced at the groundbreaking.
Celsia has built a regional business in distributed generation and renewables for industrial clients. The Chevron Panama solar plant adds a high-profile fuel-sector customer to that portfolio.
The arrangement lets Chevron decarbonize its terminal operations without building and operating the plant on its own.
The March 2024 agreement predates the groundbreaking by more than two years, reflecting the engineering and permitting work required before construction could formally begin.
Officials Attend First-Stone Ceremony
The 20 August 2026 ceremony drew both company leadership and government officials. Chevron was represented by Mike Vomund, its vice president for fuels sales, and by Doriana Hun, Chevron’s general manager in Panama.
From the government side, Panama’s National Energy Secretary Rodrigo Rodríguez attended, along with Vice Minister of Domestic Commerce and Industries Omar Torres.
Their presence signals official support for private renewable generation at industrial sites. Panama has been working to broaden its energy mix beyond hydroelectric power.
No completion date was announced at the ceremony. Chevron also did not disclose the investment figure for the project.
The Bahía Las Minas location places the solar array next to tank farms and loading infrastructure, underlining that the power is intended for the terminal itself rather than for sale into the national grid.
A Long Operating History in Panama
Chevron has operated in Panama since 1936, making it one of the longest-established foreign fuel companies in the country. Its retail network includes more than 80 Texaco service stations.
That 90-year presence gives the solar project symbolic weight: a company built on fossil fuels is now generating renewable power at the heart of its Panamanian operations.
The Bahía Las Minas terminal has long been central to that business, storing and distributing fuels for the domestic market and the canal corridor.
The Chevron Panama solar investment fits a wider pattern of oil and fuel companies adding renewables at their own facilities to cut operating emissions and power costs.
Because the terminal is Panama’s largest fuel-storage site, its switch to solar is likely to be watched by other industrial energy users in the country.
What the Project Signals for Industrial Solar
Large industrial consumers in Panama have traditionally drawn power from the grid or from on-site fossil generation. A terminal that can run entirely on its own solar output offers a template for similar facilities.
The project’s numbers are modest by utility standards but meaningful at site level. Generating 5.15 GWh a year against full operational demand shows the terminal’s load can be matched by a four-hectare array.
The avoided emissions, 1,809.3 tonnes of CO2 a year, give Chevron a measurable figure for its sustainability reporting over the plant’s roughly 30-year life.
If the Chevron Panama solar installation performs as designed, it could accelerate similar agreements between fuel, logistics and port operators and renewable developers such as Celsia.
Colón’s industrial corridor concentrates exactly that kind of energy user, making the province a natural test bed for on-site renewables at critical infrastructure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Chevron Panama solar project?
A 4.03 MWp solar plant at Chevron’s Bahía Las Minas fuel terminal in Colón, expected to generate about 5.15 GWh a year and cover 100% of the terminal operations’ power.
Who is building the solar plant for Chevron?
Celsia, a Grupo Argos energy company, is Chevron’s partner. Under a March 2024 agreement it will install 6,714 panels over four hectares, avoiding 1,809.3 tonnes of CO2 a year.
How much is Chevron investing in the solar plant?
Chevron has not disclosed the investment figure. The company announced the capacity, expected output and roughly 30-year life, but no cost, at the 20 August 2026 ceremony.
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