80,000
Equivalent households
CLEAN, NON-POLLUTING ENERGY
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
1 in 8 people still do not have access to electricity. In order to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, it is necessary to increase the use of renewable energy from 25 % today to 38 % in 2025.
ACCIONA is positioning itself as a key player in addressing the growth in energy demand while curbing the progress of global warming and promoting the transition to a decarbonized energy model.
CLIMATE ACTION
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
The generation and use of energy is responsible for 74 % of total greenhouse gas emissions in the world. This activity is the largest contributor to global warming. Investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and other low carbon technologies will continue to be essential to meet the new needs of humanity and to minimise their negative impact on the environment.
ACCIONA considers the fight against climate change and its related effects to be a strategic priority. The Company is working to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in order to contribute to the progress of society and respond to the main challenges of sustainable development in the areas of infrastructure, water and energy, leading the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Grid-connected in 2014, the Chiripa Wind Farm is the first one installed by ACCIONA in Costa Rica. It consists of 33 ACCIONA Windpower 1.5MW wind turbines and produces more than 200 million kilowatts a year, enough to power around 80,000 homes. The extremely high wind resouce in the area makes Chiripa the most efficient wind farm among those operated by ACCIONA in terms of load factor (more than five thousand net hours a year).
GENERAL INFORMATION
- Location: Tilarán, Guanacaste. Costa Rica.
- Capacity: 49.5 MW.
- Wind turbine: ACCIONA Windpower AW77/1500.
- Tower: Steel, hub height 80 m .
- Start-up: 2014.
- Owners: ACCIONA (65%), Grupo Ecoenergía (35%)
KEY FIGURES
- First ACCIONA's wind farm in Costa Rica
- Investment of USD125 million
- Project won after a tender by Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE)
- More than 200 GWh average output per annum
- Clean energy equivalent to the power demand of around 80,000 homes.
- 192,000 tonnes of CO2 from coal-fired power stations avoided
- Inaugurated on November 15th, 2014, by the Costa Rican Vice-president Ana Helena Chacón.
- 328 jobs created during the construction phase, more than a half from the vicinity
- Over 16 hectares reforested with around 5,700 indigenous plants.
Key figures
49,5
megawatts (MW) of power
80,000
equivalent households
33
wind turbines
192,000
tons of CO2 into the atmosphere avoided per year
+300
jobs created during construction
5,700
native species planted