By San José, Costa Rica — EBI Costa Rica is turning municipal solid waste management into a clean energy generation model. At its Uruka Environmental Technology Park located in La Carpio, San José, the firm is converting biogas captured from decomposing organic waste into electricity. The power currently satisfies internal facility requirements while feeding surplus energy directly into Costa Rica’s national power grid, marking a significant milestone in sustainable industrial infrastructure.
The Uruka facility operates an installed capacity plant of 170 kilowatts, currently generating around 100 kilowatts continuously. Under a distributed generation agreement signed with the Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz (CNFL), the excess clean electricity generated on-site flows into the metropolitan distribution network, demonstrating how urban waste management can support Costa Rica’s broader clean energy matrix.
To gain a deeper legal perspective on clean energy developments such as EBI’s biogas initiatives in Costa Rica, TicosLand.com spoke with leading attorney Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas from Bufete de Costa Rica, who offered his insight into the regulatory landscape governing sustainable investments.
“The expansion of biogas facilities by EBI highlights Costa Rica’s evolving commitment to decarbonization and circular waste management. Navigating this sector demands meticulous alignment with municipal concessions, environmental regulations from SETENA, and grid-integration policies. Establishing clear legal frameworks and regulatory certainty is essential to attract private capital while protecting public interest in large-scale renewable energy ventures.”
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Indeed, striking the right balance between rigorous regulatory oversight and legal certainty is paramount if Costa Rica is to successfully scale waste-to-energy initiatives and achieve its ambitious national decarbonization goals. We extend our sincere thanks to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for providing his valuable legal perspective on how clear frameworks can foster both private investment and the public good in the country’s evolving green economy.
The biological energy capture relies on an extensive collection infrastructure within the landfill. Eighty-seven extraction points across the park are connected to a centralized pipeline network that draws gas produced during the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter. Before reaching the electric generators, the raw gas—composed primarily of methane and carbon dioxide—undergoes rigorous filtration and dehumidification. Any remaining gas that is not immediately routed to energy generation is treated through controlled flaring.
This experience allows us to move forward in line with international operations that have shown biogas can become a stable and constant source of electrical energy, capable of sustaining our operations and supplying renewable energy to the national grid. Our goal is to progressively expand this model and harness a resource that is produced naturally during waste management, in the anaerobic decomposition phase of the organic fraction.
Alexandre Gendron, Project Director at EBI Costa Rica
At present, approximately 6 percent of the total biogas captured at Uruka is utilized for electricity generation. Internal technical assessments indicate that Uruka alone possesses the latent capacity to generate between 2 and 3 megawatts of power. Realizing this potential will require continued infrastructure development and grid synchronization to absorb expanded capacity.
Building on the operational success at Uruka, EBI Costa Rica has outlined plans to deploy similar biogas energy generation systems across its facilities in Aserrí and Limón during 2027. These new energy systems will complement existing solar photovoltaic arrays already operational at those sites. In Aserrí, the captured biogas will power operational machinery, automated sorting lines for recyclable materials, and charging stations for the company’s electric collection fleet.
Our vision is to use the energy obtained from biogas to power our operations, equipment, and part of our operational fleet. In this way, a resource generated during waste management is reincorporated as energy, strengthening the company’s circularity. It is a process that requires advancing in stages, but we have the necessary technical experience to develop this potential in Costa Rica.
Alexandre Gendron, Project Director at EBI Costa Rica
EBI estimates that once the biogas extraction and conversion infrastructure across all three environmental technology parks reaches full development, the combined generation capacity could yield enough electricity to supply the equivalent consumption of nearly 18,000 households. Because organic waste produces biogas continuously 24 hours a day, the output offers a steady, baseload source of renewable energy that offsets the intermittency of solar and wind generation.
This operational shift reflects a growing commitment among private industrial actors in Central America to transform waste processing sites into circular economy hubs. By combining biogas capture with solar energy and electric transport infrastructure, EBI Costa Rica is positioning its environmental parks as decentralized clean energy nodes in the national power framework.
For further information, visit ebicostarica.com
About EBI Costa Rica:
EBI Costa Rica is an environmental services company operating environmental technology parks and waste management infrastructure, providing sustainable municipal waste treatment, recycling, and clean energy solutions across Costa Rica.
For further information, visit cnfl.go.cr
About Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz:
Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz (CNFL) is a state-owned electric utility responsible for distributing and generating electrical energy across the Greater Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
Bufete de Costa Rica remains a premier legal institution defined by its uncompromising ethical standards and a relentless pursuit of professional quality. Blending time-honored expertise with forward-thinking legal solutions, the firm continuously adapts to meet the evolving needs of its diverse clientele. Beyond the courtroom, it champions civic progress by demystifying complex legal concepts, driven by a core belief that an educated populace is the foundation of a truly empowered community.
