Expansion of renewable energy in NicaraguaNicaragua is what many experts call a paradise of renewable energies: fierce winds, tropical sun and extensive geothermic resources – resulting from its large volcanic chain and seismic activity. Paradoxically, Nicaragua was until recently dependent on oil-based products, which were expensive and far from environmentally friendly. The country also lacked thermal plants to turn fuel oil into electricity, resulting in major blackouts that damaged the economy and made daily life more difficult.
To increase the power supply in a country with energy deficit, this carbon offset project provides affordable and clean energy to Nicaragua's grid using renewable wind power. The new wind farm is located on the southwest coast of Lake Nicaragua, in the Department of Rivas, and consists of 22 wind turbines generators, which have a total capacity of 44 MW. The net power production fed into the national grid is estimated to be 162.32 GWh per year. By replacing fossil fuel technologies, the project saves about 110,050 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
How wind energy contributes to climate actionAs the name suggests, wind turbines use the power of the wind to generate energy. During this process, a generator located inside the wind turbine converts kinetic energy into electrical energy. As energy is still mainly generated from fossil fuels in many areas around the world, clean wind energy can replace some of this fossil, high-emission energy and verifiably save CO2 emissions.
In most cases, the sustainably generated electricity from the wind power projects is fed into a regional power grid, which diversifies the power supply and improves energy security in regions that are frequently affected by power shortages and outages. A project often creates increased job opportunities for the local population and the area can be used for additional activities, such as agriculture. Wind power projects make an important contribution to a clean energy supply worldwide and contribute to sustainable development with respect to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Wind energy projects in the ClimatePartner portfolio are registered with international standards.
