Costa Rica News – Clean energy is coming to over 200,000 Costa Rican homes, in a few years, that is. While two geothermal plants already have guaranteed funding from Congress, the construction won’t begin before 2018.
There are ongoing studies being done in Guanacaste, where the plants will be created. ICE is unable to advance the start date because the drilling equipment they need is already being used in another province. There are only three drilling machines in the country.
Each project should take 4 years to complete, and each will employ about 1,000 people. So far, at Borinquen 1, they’ve drilled four wells that are more than 2,000 feet deep. This is to ensure the geothermal potential.
The International Cooperation Agency and the European Investment Bank have given loans of $958 million to get through the two phases of construction. In addition, President Luis Guillermo Solis and the Legislature approved funding on July 25th.
This source of clean energy should stop the rise in electricity rates, which was at 30% last year. The tests they are doing with the drilling machines now are also saving money in the long run, by reducing the amount of land, pipes and surface area to be used. It’s a less expensive way to start, but more complicated and time consuming.
