ICE to build Costa Rica’s largest photovoltaic solar plant in Guanacaste

The Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) announced the construction of the largest photovoltaic solar plant in the country, following the approval by the ICE Board of Directors of the feasibility and implementation phase of the Colorado Photovoltaic Solar Project. The project will be located in the Colorado district, in the Guanacaste canton of Abangares.

The plant will have an installed capacity of 66 megawatts and is projected to generate 139.49 gigawatt hours per year, representing a plant factor of 23.9%.
With an investment of close to $80 million, the plant is expected to begin operations in 2027, thus reinforcing the country’s clean and renewable energy generation capacity, as established by the Generation Expansion Plan 2022-2040.

“This project is part of the Institute’s efforts to provide the country with more renewable generation, which will allow it to meet the country’s growing current and future demand. It will be the largest solar plant in Costa Rica,” said Marco Acuña, president of Grupo ICE.

The Colorado Photovoltaic Solar Project will require a feasibility report that will include technical, legal, environmental, social, economic and financial research, with the aim of ensuring its effective integration into the National Electric System (SEN).

This project will be added to the development of the San Antonio solar park in La Uruca, which will have a capacity of 10 megawatts, as well as the repowering of the Tejona wind farm and the construction of five private solar plants that will provide a total of 86 megawatts.