Boca de Pozo Geothermal Power Plant Costa Rica

Boca de Pozo Geothermal Power Plant Costa Rica is a 5 MW geothermal power plant in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 9.4k homes (estimated). It ranks #25 of 27 Costa Rica power plants by installed capacity. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, geothermal supplies about 11.9% of Costa Rica's electricity; the national grid averages 24 gCO₂/kWh (100.0% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEODB0002384.

Data provenance

Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.

capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 5 MW, Boca de Pozo Geothermal Power Plant Costa Rica is below the median geothermal plant in Costa Rica (27.5 MW). Geothermal plants tap underground heat to raise steam for a turbine; they provide steady, low-carbon baseload but are limited to geologically active regions.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Key facts

Share of Costa Rica geothermal capacity

2.5% of 199 MW across 5 plants in this dataset

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Capacity vs largest geothermal plants in Costa Rica

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Local climate & thermal context

This geothermal plant taps underground heat to raise steam that drives a turbine. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 10.7°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #5 largest geothermal power plant of 5 in Costa Rica by capacity.

Costa Rica has 5 geothermal power plants in this dataset, together about 199 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Miravalles I and II Geothermal Power Plant Costa Rica · Geothermal · 115 MW · Guanacaste
• Miravalles V Geothermal Power Plant Costa Rica · Geothermal · 15.4 MW · Guanacaste
• Miravalles III Geothermal Power Plant Costa Rica · Geothermal · 27.5 MW · Guanacaste
• Pailas Geothermal Power Plant Costa Rica · Geothermal · 36 MW · Guanacaste
• Sandillal Hydroelectric Power Plant Costa Rica · Hydro · 32 MW · Guanacaste
• Corobici (Miguel Pablo Dengo) Hydroelectric Power Plant Costa Rica · Hydro · 174 MW · Guanacaste

Location

Coordinates 10.7041, -85.1942 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions