Public consultation is being carried out on the methodology for calculating tariffs for power generation from solid waste.
The drop in oil prices and high operating costs are not the only obstacles to projects generating energy from waste in Costa Rica. Now the Regulatory Authority of Public Services is calling for a public hearing in order to "start writing" a methodology, ordinary and extraordinary, that will determine the reference rates for power plants using municipal solid waste.
Plans have been made to build a power plant in Colon using solid waste for fuel, with capacity to treat 450 tons of garbage a day.
The company Aguaseo SA presented a proposal to the Mayor of Colon to build a plant for solid waste treatment and power generation, with capacity to generate 15 MW / h. The project, presented by Power Waste (Aguaseo SA) will be funded by the US consortium Gem Energy Consulting.
A year after the declaration of moratorium and three months after the announcement that the regulation was ready to be signed, the Ministry of Environment has now decided to "clarify some issues."
While huge investments are paralyzed and municipalities are struggling to deal with garbage in the best way possible, the government of Costa Rica continues to delay the adoption of a regulation that would allow energy to be generated from solid waste.
The measure which has paralyzed multiple investments remains in force because of administrative delays in the adoption of the rules that will govern the transformation of solid waste into electricity.
It has been noted that the document which contains the rules for this activity was ready three months ago, though Environment Minister Edgar Gutierrez, reported that "... we expected it soon to be stamped and signed."
The Federation of Metropolitan Municipalities has renewed an agreement with the state power company to produce energy from solid waste and sell it for a period of 25 years.
This agreement was renewed despite the fact that there is still a moratorium in effect on power generation from waste, which it is estimated will be suspended in March, once the regulation governing this activity is ready.
In Costa Rica the Solis administration has decreed a national moratorium on all activities attempting to generate electricity from solid waste.
The decree signed by the Executive Branch took effect in June and prevents any entity from generating energy from waste material, as some municipalities have been doing.
Prensalibre.cr reports that according to "...Gilberto Monge, Mayor of Canton de Mora, and vice president of the Association of Mayors and Intendents (NHAI), this decree 'is a mistake, because the country can not afford to slow down the development of technology, especially when we have issues with the cost of electricity and pollution, caused by generating energy using fossil fuels.'"
The American company Wastelectric has announced that it will invest $390 million in Costa Rica in a solid waste gasification plant to generate 45 MW per month.
The free trade zone in Coyol, Alajuela, would be the location of the processing plant measuring 40,000 m2 to recycle some 2,200 daily tons from 35 municipalities in the country. It is estimated that the energy generated from the process will be enough to supply approximately 108,000 households.