Costa Rica Market Starting Gun - ICE issues procurement notice

Translated from La Nacion Article 3/27/15: 

The ICE announced that competition will bring 10 megawatts (MW) of solar energy, which will be awarded to two floors of private generation (of 5 MW each). These generate enough to power about 6,000 homes electricity.

The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), meanwhile, is responsible for raising another photovoltaic project in the Guanacaste province, of 5 MW. This will be funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

These three projects of 15 MW total power, would be built in the course of 2016.

Private generators will be chosen by competition, whose date will be revealed once the Regulatory Authority for Public Services (Aresep) defines outstanding issues as access charges, interconnection and the sales price per kilowatt hour (kWh) Solar .

Ulises Zúñiga, the area of ​​Contract Management Investment Strategies, reported that so far there are more than 20 eligible projects that have expressed interest, but others may also participate.

According to Zúñiga, contestants compete for factors such as price, location, use of primary energy resources, progress made in studies and experience.

"These initiatives are part of ICE's strategy of introducing solar energy, with larger plants within the national electricity system," said Gilbert de la Cruz, director of Planning and Development Electrical ICE, through a press release .

The announcement of the ICE was published today in the official newspaper La Gaceta.
 
In early February ceased pilot Solar Energy Institute, which served to inject the National Electric System (SEN) 10 MW of this type, since 2010 plan . This plan will not be extended , so that the photovoltaic system on the network is locked until ARESEP set the rates.

Also necessary that the Ministry of Environment and Energy (Minae) publish the regulation permits and concessions for generators to connect to the system. According to the Minae and ARESEP, missing will be defined by mid-April.

 

Monty Bannerman

ArcStar Energy

+1-646-402-5076

www.arcstarenergy.com