Low Summer Rainfall Forces ICE To Reduce Hydroelectric Production

Just as Costa Rica's summer season is in full stride the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) has been forced to drop hydroelectric generation at its Pirrís plant to 30% of capacity.
 

More Costa Rica Puts Pirrís Hydroelectric Plant  Online

The plant, located in the areas of Los Santos and Parrita, had to see capacity reduced due to a decrease in rainfall and to keep adequate reservoir water levels for the coming months.

The plant, opened four months ago, has a maximum production of 133 megawatts and is the most expensive built to date in Costa Rica.

According to the Centro Nacional de Control de Energía del (ICE) - National Centre for Energy Control - the plant had been operating at maximum production when it went online in September.

The reduced production is also occurring at the Cachí and Angostura plants, though the reduction at Pirrís is the largest.

Gravin Mayorga, manager of electricity at ICE, explained that it is imperative to maintain reserves at Pirrís, as well as Cachí, to meet the demands of the summer months, that if the plant is allowed to operate at capacity the reservoir would reach the lowest operating level in 20 days, jeopardizing the supply of domestic demand at peak times.

Under the plan, Mayorga further explained, the plant will maintain minimum production with the current daily rainfall, keeping the reservoir water as a backup.

ICE denies that with the lower production at Pirrís its operating costs will increase in operating fossil fuel driven plants to generate sufficient capacity to keep lit the nation's lights.

However, according to own figures provided by the Centro Nacional de Control de Energía the entering of operation of the Garabito thermal plant, ICE's costs will be some us$220 million dollars more, going from us$700 million in 2011 to a projected us$920 million for this year.