Juwi launches wind project in Central America

- Building work begins on a wind farm with 55 wind turbines in Costa Rica

Costa Rica/Germany - The juwi group, based in Wörrstadt in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and it’s European and American project partners have launched construction work on what will be the biggest wind farm in Central America. Upon completion, the project known as "Proyecto Eólico Guanacaste" in Costa Rica will comprise 55 wind energy turbines – altogether 49.5 megawatts of production capacity. It is juwi’s biggest wind power project to date. "This endeavor is a milestone in our company history because it represents our entry into the Latin American wind energy market," says juwi CEO and co-founder Matthias Willenbacher. Right now the first tubular steel towers are arriving and being installed in Costa Rica. The turbines – 55 E-44 models – are being shipped across the Atlantic by German manufacturer Enercon. Juwi and Enercon will later oversee operation of the machines jointly. The wind farm is scheduled to begin operating in 2008 and 2009. Juwi is the project developer and responsible primarily for project management.

The projected annual yield of Proyecto Eólico Guanacaste is sensational. Its 45 meter high towers will generate about 240 million kilowatt-hours of electricity yearly. "That’s a capacity factor of about 55%," says Willenbacher, "which is well above the European average". By European standards the wind farm will produce enough to power 70,000 homes and displace approximately 240,000 metric tons of CO2 annually compared to fossil fuel generation.

Costa Rica and its inhabitants will benefit greatly from the wind farm. The turbines will operate at full capacity during practically the entire dry season from December to May. Up until now Costa Rica had to import electricity expensively during that time because the country’s hydropower stations could operate only at partial load. "Wind energy and hydropower are ideal forms of regenerative energy production that complement one another ideally in Costa Rica," says Willenbacher. The new wind farm is a key element to affordable and secure power supply in Costa Rica and will also create new jobs there.


Costa Rica/Germany, August 11 2008


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