| Title | Costa Rica Country Update Report |
|---|---|
| Authors | Osvaldo Vallejos-Ruiz, Jessica Arias-Hernandez, Federico Nietzen-Solano |
| Year | 2023 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | Costa Rica, Country Update, Central America, Miravalles, Pailas, Borinquen |
| Abstract | Electricity generation in Costa Rica is produced mainly from renewable sources, producing mostly over 91% in the last 12 years and over 99% in the last 7 years with clean energy sources. Geothermal plays an important role in this achievement as it continues to provide a base load for the electrical system in Costa Rica. To date it accounts for around 14% of the total electrical generation of the country. Since the commissioning of the first unit of the Miravalles Field in 1994, the installed capacity of geotermal energy in Costa Rica has reached 262 MWe or 7.3% of the total installed in the country, in 7 units spread in two geotermal fields (Miravalles and Pailas). A drilling program of 20 wells for the development of the first Unit of the Borinquen Geothermal Field (the first of two 50 MWe units) is taking place, in order to install the first of two planned units in 2027. Considering the important investment made for geothermal development, the main challenge has been and is the sustainability of the different reservoirs, not only during the initial planned development period but also for any possible future expansión. Continuous strategies are being developed in order to secure the commercial exploitation of the Alfredo Mainieri Protti (formerly Miravalles) through repowering of the geothermal field by extending the useful life of the reservoir and the continuous monitoring of the Pailas Field. Finally, a portfolio of geothermal projects which comprise promising areas around the country to be developed in the next 40 years continues to be revised and updated. This includes an review and update of the national assessment of geothermal resources which is actually carried on. |