Costa Rica:

Costa Rica Powered By 100% Renewable Energy For First 75 Days of 2015 (RenewEconomy)

Geothermal contributes over 13% of electricity generation

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

The Latin American country of Costa Rica has achieved the milestone of generating 100 per cent of its energy from renewable resources, with a combination of hydropower and geothermal for 75 days in a row, the the state-owned Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) said.

Boosted by good rains at four of he country’s main hydroelectric plants, ICE said that, according to National Electric System figures, it had not been necessary to use hydrocarbons to supply the country’s grid at all in 2015, for the months of January, February and so far in March.

For 2015, ICE estimates that 13.09% of the electricity in Costa Rica will come from geothermal plants. Costa Rica is in the process of adding several big new geothermal plants, after a $US958 million proposal was approved by the government in mid-2014. The project, which is being co-funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency and the European Investment Bank, is expected to be located in Guanacaste near Rincón de la Vieja.

The first plants are expected to generate about 55 MW and cost around $333 million to build. Two other 50 MW plants will be built as well, about 40km from the Pailas II plants. Once operational, it is expected the plants could generate electricity at about five cents per kilowatt-hour.

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