Wind Farm Goes
Online In Costa
Rica
Costa Rica is
one step closer
to its goal of
getting 100
percent of its
energy from
renewable
generation
sources, as this
week it
inaugurated a
wind farm
installed in
Guanacaste.
The Planta
Eolica
Guanacaste wind
farm was
completed in
2009 and
consists of 55
E-44 wind
turbines from
German
manufacturer
Enercon. With a
total capacity
of 49.5
megawatts (MW),
it is expected
to produce
around 240
million
kilowatt-hours
of electricity
per year.
Costa Rica
expects wind to
play a large
role in its
energy mix,
especially
during the dry
season between
December and
May, when the
generators will
operate at full
capacity. Costa
Rica already
covers about 80
percent of its
energy demand
with hydro and
geothermal
power.
During the dry
season, however,
hydro power
stations are
working at less
than full
capacity and as
a result power
is generally
produced with
Diesel
generators or
imported, both
at high prices.
"Today we are
inaugurating
this new wind
farm because we
know very well
that energy is a
core element for
progress in the
communities. We
are also aware
of the fact that
Costa Rica can
only cross the
threshold to the
developed
countries if it
achieves to
guarantee to its
population the
access to
sufficient and
affordable clean
energy“, said
Costa Rica’s
president Oscar
Arias.
Arias launched
the program
"Peace with
Nature“ that is
designed to make
reduce human
impact on the
environment in
Costa Rica. The
goal of reaching
100 percent
renewable energy
is a core
element of this
program that his
successor Laura
Chinchilla plans
to carry
forward.
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