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 -Published: Tuesday, December 17, 2019 The country will produce more than 99%
of its energy green this year
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff The National Electric System announced Monday that by the end of this year, more than 99% of electricity will be generated from renewable sources such as water, wind, geothermal, biomass and solar. National non-water sources will reach their maximum historical contribution, adding up to almost 30% of production between January and December, said the system in its statement. Since 2015, Costa Rica has exceeded generating 98% of its electricity with clean resources. This data is achieved despite the dry conditions faced in 2019 with 20% less rainfall, the system noted. "The constitution of our matrix allows us to keep the percentage of renewable generation at a very high point while we are going through the El Niño climate phenomenon," said Irene Cañas, president of the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity. According to the institute's records, as of Oct. 31, the plants that produced the most energy during 2019 are Dengo, Reventazón, Arenal, Angostura, Cachí and Miravalles. In total, the six have contributed 35% of the electricity coming from the national system. According to the institute in recent weeks, electricity exports to Central American countries have increased. In the country, there are 18 wind power plants, located in Guanacaste and San José provinces, managed by public, private, municipal and cooperative companies. The institute said that the country is ranked third in the continent for geothermal plants, seven of which are owned by the electrical institute. In October the institute hired two companies to study electricity production based on hydrogen. According to the institute, hydrogen could be produced to generate renewable electricity. In the first stage, the institute will look for business opportunities that involve the manufacture of this element, it said in its statement. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, hydrogen is primarily produced by steam reforming of natural gas. Other major sources include naphtha or oil reforming at a refinery or other industrial sites and partial oxidation of coal and other hydrocarbons. The institute signed two agreements for the study of hydrogen production. The first was with Siemens AG and the second with the company Ad Astra Rocket. Siemens is a German multinational conglomerate headquartered in Munich. According to the company, it generates hydrogen using electrolysis. Ad Astra Rocket is located in the campus of EARTH University in Guanacaste. The president and CEO of the company is a retired U.S. astronaut Franklin Chang Díaz. According to Marco Acuña, director of the electrical institute, the goal of the study is to identify opportunities in which hydrogen is a basic input, either to be used within the country or to export it. In the world, countries such as Japan, China, Canada, Germany, Sweden and the United States have experience in technology research applicable to the so-called hydrogen economy, said the institute. The institute did not provide the amount allocated for both agreements. ------------------------ Should the cost of electricity service in the country be lower as a result of the clean energy produced by the ICE? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com |
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