State power company ICE to expand Tejona wind plant by 10 MW

Costa Rica's state power company Instituto Costariccense de Energía (ICE) is to expand its 20 MW Tejona wind plant by 10 MW, less than a year after it became fully operational. Tejona started generating in December 2001 with 18 Vestas 660 kW turbines, and added a further 12 by June 2002. Total investment in this phase was only $11 million, as ICE bought only eight of the turbines. It rents the remainder in a five year contract with Holland's NV Edon Groep. Investment in the expansion will be similarly low-key at an expected $7 million. Edon will undertake operations and maintenance, as it does for the 20 MW already in place. Tejona is one of three wind plants in the Tejona area of Guanacaste province, and the only one that belongs to ICE. The others are Plantas Eólicas' 20 MW plant and Aeroenergía's 6.4 MW plant. Costa Rica's other wind plant, Movasa's 24 MW Tierras Morenas development, is on the same mountain ridge but not in Tejona. ICE's Tejona plant is expected to generate 100 GWh/year.