Likewise, the impacts on ecosystems have been mitigated and compensated by making payments for environmental services to the owners of the basin, strengthening biological corridors, monitoring key species of the country's rich biodiversity and creating one of the first aquatic compensation systems for a hydroelectric plant in Latin America.
There were many years of planning and negotiations for the government and the ICE together with the public, private sector, national and regional banks and multilateral organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank Group (WBG) to make this plant a reality, with 305 megawatts of installed capacity, allows to generate clean electricity to more than half a million homes in the country.
This infrastructure work had a cost of US$ 1,217 million, has a reservoir for water storage with an area of 8 square kilometers and a dam of 130 meters in height.
Winner of the Blue Planet Award
During 2017, a team led by Tiffer provided technical assistance to Costa Rica for the application of the Sustainability Assessment Protocol in Reventazón, a project selected among several of Latin America.
A team of advisors accredited by the International Hydropower Association (IHA) in coordination with the ICE team -led by Miguel Víquez and Sergio Bermudez, of the Environmental Corporate Department- made several field visits; interviewed community leaders and residents and more than 100 ICE professionals who participated in the planning and construction of the work. Also, they reviewed more than 400 records and allowed to evaluate the 19 topics required by the Protocol in the financial, technical, environmental and social sectors.
The selection of the Blue Planet award is in charge of a panel of international experts, coordinated by the IHA, who evaluate projects around the world based on the results and qualifications obtained from the works in the application of the Protocol.
With the Blue Planet 2019 award, Costa Rica, in addition to being recognized for its natural wealth, is positioned as a global example for developers of clean and renewable energy.
The IHA awards this prize since 2001. To date, 8 projects have been won in countries such as Australia, South Africa, Nepal, and Iceland. Costa Rica is the 1st Spanish-speaking nation to receive the award and the 2nd in Latin America, after Brazil.
The Association defines Reventazón as an example that hydroelectric projects can make a significant contribution not only to the generation of energy in a country, but also in the application of international best practices for the technical, environmental, and social management of works regarding renewable energy.