Central America nations, along with Mexico, Colombia and the Dominican Republic, will weigh two proposed Pacific Coast sites: Puerto Quetzal in Guatemala and Puerto Armuelles in Panamá, Energy Secretary Fernando Canales told a news conference.
The refinery, with a capacity of 360,000 barrels a day, will be able to meet the energy needs of Central AmericaŽs seven nations at US$8 less a barrel than the open-market prices. The plan also includes a regional power grid and a natural gas pipeline, although details of those projects are still being hammered out. The overall project could cost about US$10 billion.