January 9, 2014
Costa Rica

New wind energy project planned in Guanacaste

Jaime Lopez, January 6, 2014, news.co.cr

Gamesa, a Spanish engineering firm that specializes in wind turbine technology, will build a new wind farm in Guanacaste that could be generating electricity by 2015. With this latest announcement, Guanacaste is cementing its position as Costa Rica’s leading region in terms of clean and renewable energy projects.

This project will create a new wind farm in the occidental Orosi park of Guanacaste, not to be confused with the Orosi Valley in Cartago. Gamesa will provide the windmills and generators as well as an electricity substation, a connection to the larger utility grid in Guanacaste and the necessary high tension wires. The total energy output will be 50 MW, which will be achieved by 25 transformer-generators capable of producing 2 MW each. Gamesa will also be in charge of maintaining the wind farm during the first five years of operation.

The Spanish company is no stranger to wind energy projects in Costa Rica. The company has installed more than 12 MW at the Los Santos wind farm. As Costa Rica’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by the year 2021 gets closer, more clean energy projects are expected to emerge across the country, which already enjoys the benefit of many hydroelectric plants. The current objective is to extend the reach of wind farms, solar energy and geothermic projects.

In Guanacaste, Japanese Ambassador Mamoru Shinohara has expressed enthusiasm about a planned clean energy project that may tap into geothermic resources, and aerospace firm Ad Astra recently unveiled a hydrogen fuel research station in the province.

As it often happens, one country’s improved environmental standing comes at a detriment to another nation. In this case, Costa Rica benefits from wind farms at the expense of China, where reckless mining of rare earth (the elements often used in the manufacturing of wind energy generators) is creating an ecological disaster.

Español: La Nacion


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/01/09/new-wind-energy-project-planned-in-guanacaste/