Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli observed the Pirris Hydroelectricity Plant at Eolik Park, Los Santos in Costa Rica on Sunday.

PM Oli and the Nepali delegation was welcomed by the hydroelectric plant’s chief engineer German Urena DB Errias at Eolik Park and briefed about the project.

Director of the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE), Roberto Kiros, gave information on other aspects of the project.

Renewable energy occupies 98.1 per cent of the energy output of Costa Rica. Of this energy output, 80 per cent is hydroelectricity. Generally, cent per cent energy demand of Costa Rica is supplied by renewable energy for around 75 days every year.

ICE produces hydroelectricity, geothermal electricity, wind, solar and bio fuel. This power utility institution uses hydrocarbon energy only for backup. The National Electricity System, the largest project operated by ICE, has four different dam-based hydroelectricity projects.

Likewise, the geothermal plants operated by ICE include the Miravales Geothermal and Las Pilas Geothermal plants. Wind energy plants are also operated by ICE.

ICE produces 70.27 per cent of the total energy generated in Costa Rica while the business community produces 10.25 per cent, the private sector 9.29 per cent and 10.18 per cent under the build-own-operate and transfer (BOOT) model.

Costa Rica sells electricity to Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. These countries share an electricity distribution system for this purpose. Pirris Hydroelectricity Plant generates 134 Megawatts electricity and this is a dam-based project located on the Pirris River.

The total hydroelectricity generation capacity of Costa Rica is estimated to be 3,039 Megawatts. In 2014, Costa Rica built plants that can generate 2,732 Megawatts electricity. The remaining energy source is geothermal energy.

Prime Minister Oli also observed Coopesantos wind energy project based on cooperatives on Sunday. Chairperson and General-Secretary of Coopesantos briefed Prime Minister Oli about the issues of wind energy. Similarly, the Prime Minister also observed wind turbine. A turbine of Coopesantos produces 850 Kilowatts electricity. The Coopesantos has now 17 such turbines.

Costa Rica is a Central American country with coastlines on the Caribbean and Pacific. The country spreads over an area of 51,100 square kilometres and has a population of 4.9 million.

On the occasion, PM Oli was accompanied by his spouse Radhika Shakya. Present on the occasion were PM Oli’s Chief Advisor Bishnu Rimal, Secretary at the Foreign Ministry, Shanker Das Bairagi, Chief of Protocol Deepak Adhikari and senior officers of the government of Nepal.

Earlier, PM Oli attended a banquet hosted by Nepal’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Costa Rica, Arjun Kumar Karki, in honour of the Prime Minister and Nepali delegation.

On the occasion, Nepali students studying at United World College, Costa Rica, had performed Nepali songs and dances.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Nepali delegation reached San José, Costa Rica for an official visit at the invitation of Costa Rica President Carlos Alvarado Quesada.