Thermoelectric production up nearly 90%

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Thermoelectric production up nearly 90%

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La República

Increase was due to decreased flows in the hydroelectric plants
Thermoelectric production up nearly 90%
ICE is considering requesting a rate adjustment in November, industrialists fear that deprives them competitive

The fall of the flow of rivers and reservoirs that are exploited for electricity generation and increased demand led to a big spike in energy production from fossil fuels, which is seven times more expensive than that produced with clean resources .
So far this year, thermal energy production, as known to those produced from diesel and bunker, grew by 88%.
That spike in the purchase of fuel could cost users as the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) refines an application for adjustment in electricity tariffs to be presented in November.
Only the first eight months, the ICE was 573 million kilowatt hours (kWh) to meet demand, while in the same period of 2009 production with fossil material reaching only 305 million kWh.
To meet this increase, ICE was forced to buy 84 million gallons more fuel than the same period in 2009.
This investment in oil derivatives represented ICE expenditure by the order of ¢ 36 billion more in relation to the first eight months of last year.
ICE three reasons justified the increase in demand for thermoelectric power. The first is the drop in flow in plants Cachi, Rio Macho, Arenal, Toro and Peñas Blancas, with greater intensity in February, March and April, due to the phenomenon El Niño.
"Only in Arenal, the flows dropped by 57% in February and 40% in March," said Greivin Mayorga, manager of Electricity ICE.
The other two factors that prevented a further electricity with clean resources were the late arrival of winter and the recovery of the economy increased energy consumption.
In this situation, some industrialists are against a possible rise in the cost of electricity, arguing that the sector is losing competitiveness due to the increase in that input.
"In 2009 there was an increase in the rate of 33% and 12% by 2010, when inflation was 4.05% and 5% respectively," said Carlos Montenegro, deputy executive director of the Chamber of Industries.
The request for increase which analyzes the ICE must be submitted to the Regulatory Authority of Public Services. There should study the proposal to determine whether and in what percentage, the term can lead the decision making range from two to three months.
The last request for rate increases that made the ICE was received on November 20, 2009 and was 10.5%.

Vanessa Chaves
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