La Garita Hydroelectric Plant comes into operation

This ICE release was published using machine translation.

The Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE) completed the modernization of the La Garita Hydroelectric Plant (located in the district of Turrúcares, canton of Alajuela). After completing the work, the plant operates normally and already delivers energy to the National Electric System (SEN).

The renovation had the objective of improving the condition of the structures that make up the plant, which has operated since 1955 and has an installed capacity of 37.36 megawatts. The execution began in March 2023, with excavations, temporary constructions and relocations of distribution lines.

Among the works, the armoring and lining of the kilometer-long conduction tunnel, the reconstruction of the conduction channel – which was expanded to 11 meters wide – and the painting of the pressure pipe stand out. The work includes engineering studies and designs, also carried out by ICE.

“Renovating La Garita guarantees that it will continue to provide energy for many years. We continue working on the repowering of Tejona and the construction of Borinquen I, and we promote new solar and wind generation projects with private participation,” indicated Roberto Quirós, Electricity Manager of the Institute.

The investment in the modernization of La Garita totals $14.38 million, and includes the update of the SCADA control system, which will extend until 2025. The resources come from ICE and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB); the latter contributed $3.7 million.