6 September 2019

Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), Costa Rica’s national electricity company, has joined the International Hydropower Association (IHA) as a gold member.

The company promotes and strengthens a model based on sustainability and universal access to electricity, together with the use of natural resources in complete environmental harmony.

Irene Cañas Díaz, President of ICE, stated: “Being part of such a prestigious organisation as IHA is a significant step for the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad, bringing us closer to the highest standards in sustainability, as we are committed to maintain and foster our renewable energy mix, which relies foremost in hydropower."

ICE exclusively manages the country’s electricity system, achieving 99.4 per cent national electricity coverage. It bases its generation on five main renewable sources of energy, in order of size: water, geothermal, wind, biomass and sun.

ICE won the IHA Blue Planet Prize for excellence in sustainable hydropower at the World Hydropower Congress held in Paris in May 2019 for its Reventazón hydropower project.

Reventazón is the largest hydropower plant in Central America with 305.5 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity. Since it came into operation in 2016, the project led Costa Rica to achieve a target of generating 100 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy sources.

IHA’s Chief Executive officer, Richard Taylor, welcomed ICE as the newest member of the association. “We are delighted that the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad has joined as a gold member. We look forward to working together to exchange experiences and advance strategies that support sustainable hydropower project planning, development and operations,” he said.

Besides Reventazón, ICE’s other hydropower projects include the 134 MW Pirrís hydroelectric plant and the 180 MW Corobici hydroelectric plant.

Costa Rica receives around 80 per cent of its energy from hydroelectricity.

IHA membership is open to organisations and professionals with an interest in sustainable hydropower. Members gain access to an extensive network of the world’s most reputable hydropower sector organisations, active in more than 100 countries.

Members can connect with each other, join specialist networks and access resources through Hydropower Pro, IHA’s exclusive online community and mobile app.

Learn more about IHA membership: www.hydropower.org/join