According to the Presidency of the Republic, the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) will fast-forward the ignition and entry into operation of the Las Pailas II geothermal plant in one month. The plant is located in Curubandé de Liberia, in Guanacaste.
The ICE and the Presidency made the decision due to the dry conditions that the country is going through.
Geothermal energy – extracting steam from the volcanic subsoil to generate electricity – is the only known renewable source that does not depend on weather conditions. This feature allows to have a firm, reliable and long-lasting resource, 24 hours a day, and every day of the year.
This plant will have an installed capacity of 55 megawatts to the National Electric System and will be the first Costa Rican geothermal plant with 100% of its wells drilled with directional technique (not vertical), its machine house will isolate the sound through a system of panels and will operate in the middle of a recovered secondary forest.
The works of this plant started in April 2013. Its immediate predecessor is Las Pailas I, inaugurated in 2011.