Costa Rica has achieved a historic milestone by operating your electrical system for more than 300 consecutive days using only renewable energy, as reported by the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE). This is an impressive achievement that places the Central American country as a world leader in the use of sustainable energy sources.
The path to renewable energy in Costa Rica
Costa Rica's electrical system has worked without having to resort to thermal plants generation for 300 days, which has been possible thanks to the optimization of its natural resources. In 2015, the country had already achieved 299 days of operation with 100% renewable energy, and in 2016 it had totaled 271 days. This marks an unprecedented record for 2017, where the number of days using only clean energy is expected to increase in the remaining weeks.
ICE explained that most of this energy comes from water resources. In 2017, 78,26% of the generation was from hydroelectric plants, while the 10,29% came from the wind, the 10,23% from geothermal energy (located in volcanic areas) and the remaining 0,84% biomass and solar energy. These figures show how Costa Rica has moved towards a sustainable energy model based on the use of its geography.
Key initiatives to achieve this milestone
The country has benefited from a energy policy aimed at reducing carbon emissionsFor more than a decade, the government has implemented a plan to become a completely carbon-neutral country. The main objective for 2021 was to eliminate the use of fossil fuels in electricity production, a goal that seems increasingly achievable thanks to achievements such as the one reached in 2017.
In addition, so far in 2018, Costa Rica has generated 99,62% of its electricity from renewable energy, a record figure since records began in 1987. The use of reservoirs for water regulation has been key to maximizing the use of hydraulic and wind resources, in synchrony with geothermal energy, which guarantees the stability of the electricity supply when weather conditions vary.
The future of renewable energy in Costa Rica
ICE has highlighted that in 2017, Costa Rica experienced its largest production of wind energy in its history, with 1.014,82 gigawatt-hours (GW/h) generated since January thanks to the 16 wind farms installed throughout the country. This underlines the potential of wind as a key source within the Costa Rican energy matrix.
Despite being a relatively small country with a population of 4,8 million, Costa Rica has been able to take advantage of its natural resources to advance towards energy self-sufficiency. However, one of the challenges it still faces is the transition to cleaner forms of transport, as a large portion of vehicles in the country still run on fossil fuels. Efforts include the introduction of tax incentives for the purchase of Power Plants and the creation of a national infrastructure for charging stations.
Costa Rica has shown that it is possible to achieve great achievements in the fight against climate change by using renewable energyAs the country continues its path towards carbon neutrality, it has not only managed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also set an example for other countries to follow its leadership in sustainability.