The power plants will have a total capacity of 412 MWs, and will have an estimated investment of USD$539 million, as explained by authorities in a press conference.

The Environment and Energy Minister Franz Tattenbach stressed that Costa Rica is for the first time committing to solar energy. With this measure, in a forward-looking manner, we are responding to both present and future effects of the El Niño phenomenon, especially those causing meteorological and hydrological droughts, he added.

At the same time, we published month ago a decree to encourage the contracting of biomass-produced energy, Tattenbach recalled.

In addition to solar and wind power plants (repowering of Tejona, in Tilarán) owned by ICE, in the coming years will be added the contribution of firm energy with the Borinquen I (2027) and II (2032) Geothermal Projects, in Liberia, and regulation capacity with the Fourth Cliff Hydroelectric Project (2030), in Siquirres, he explained.

In all, the solar plants will provide 270 MWs, while wind plants will provide 122 MWs and biomass plants will provide 20 MWs, he said. They will be developed by ICE and public-private partnerships.

pll/rgh/alb