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### Viewing cable 06SANJOSE2259, RESPONSE TO ACTION REQUEST REGARDING

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
06SANJOSE2259 | 2006-10-13 19:07 | 2011-03-03 16:04 | UNCLASSIFIED | Embassy San Jose

Appears in these articles:
http://www.nacion.com/2011-03-03/Investigacion/NotasDestacadas/Investigacion2697430.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-03-03/Investigacion/NotaPrincipal/Investigacion2697496.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-03-03/Investigacion/NotasSecundarias/Investigacion2697489.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-03-03/Investigacion/NotasSecundarias/Investigacion2697532.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-03-03/Investigacion/NotasSecundarias/Investigacion2697535.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-03-03/Investigacion/NotasSecundarias/Investigacion2701964.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-03-03/Investigacion/Relacionados/Investigacion2701965.aspx

`

    VZCZCXRO9155
    RR RUEHBI RUEHCD RUEHDE RUEHGD RUEHGH RUEHHM RUEHJO RUEHLN RUEHMA
    DE RUEHSJ #2259/01 2861959
    ZNR UUUUU ZZH
    R 131959Z OCT 06
    FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6319
    INFO RUCNOSA/OVERSEAS SECURITY ADVISORY COLLECTIVE
    RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE

` `

    UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SAN JOSE 002259

    SIPDIS

    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: N/A
    TAGS: ECON PREL PGOV XK XL XM
    SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO ACTION REQUEST REGARDING
    LATIN-AMERICA-CARIBBEAN BIOFUELS INITIATIVE

    REF: STATE 164558

    ¶1. Summary.  Energy production and distribution in Costa Rica are
    controlled by two parastatal entities.  If the U.S.- Central
    America-DR Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) is ratified and comes
    into force before the March 2008 deadline, CAFTA-DR will require
    opening of some sectors of the economy, but the treaty requires no
    market opening in the energy sector.  Except for an on-going pilot
    project, Costa Rica has little experience with biofuels.  The
    privately owned sugar industry is currently in a sound financial
    condition.  End Summary.

    ------------------
    ELECTRICITY SECTOR
    ------------------

    ¶2. The electricity-telecommunications monopoly, Instituto
    Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) controls all electricity
    production and distribution in Costa Rica.  Ninety-five percent of
    electricity is produced from renewable non-fossil fuel sources,
    primarily hydroelectric generation with small amounts of wind,
    geothermal and solar production.  In the past ICE has purchased
    small amounts of electricity from co-generators, however, recent
    press reports indicate ICE is not interested in renewing these
    contracts once they expire.  Some sugar mills use bagasse for
    electric power generation and the larger mills sell excess power to
    ICE.

    -----------------------------
    PETROLEUM, DIESEL AND ETHANOL
    -----------------------------

    ¶3. Refinadora Costa Rica de Petroleo, RECOPE, is the parastatal
    entity that controls fossil fuel supplies in Costa Rica.  No oil or
    gas is produced domestically, but is purchased by RECOPE from
    foreign suppliers including Venezuela.  RECOPE operates the
    country's only refinery and also controls all distribution of oil,
    gas and diesel supplies, although individual gasoline service
    stations are independently owned and operated.  The Government of
    Mexico has discussed the possibility of establishing a regional
    petroleum refinery but no decision has yet been made on where it
    might be located.

    ¶4. RECOPE is operating an ethanol pilot project scheduled to run
    from February 2006 to February 2007.  The pilot project involves 62
    gas stations along Costa Rica's Pacific coast that are selling a
    92.5% gasoline/7.5% alcohol mixture.  Ethanol is being sold at the
    same price as regular gasoline even though the product costs RECOPE
    more to produce and the energy content is slightly less.  If the
    pilot program is successful RECOPE has expressed interest in
    investing in increasing production and distribution capacity.
    Currently there are two ethanol production plants and one
    dehydration/alcohol upgrading plant in Costa Rica.  At least one of
    the plants is currently increasing capacity and investing in newer
    equipment.  However, during the short to medium term ethanol
    production from these plants is programmed for export, not for the
    domestic market.  The European demand for ethanol is high and Costa
    Rica has never exported even half its allowable quota under the
    Caribbean Basin Iniciative (CBI).  The local press has reported that
    by the end of 2006 RECOPE will request bids for purchase of
    bio-diesel.

    ¶5. The Arias administration has recently proposed creation of a
    National Commission on Biofuels involving the Ministry of Production
    (MIPRO), the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), RECOPE, the
    Chemical Engineers Guild, oil palm growers representatives, the
    Chamber of Agriculture, the Sugar Cane Producers Chamber, ICE and
    the governmental entity that regulates prices for fuels, ARESEP.
    The purpose of the commission is to propose short, medium and long
    term strategies for use of ethanol and bio-diesel, including needed
    legal reforms.  Among the strategies to be considered is a tax
    benefit to lower costs and encourage use of biofuels.  In addition
    to sugar cane, the commission will also study the possible use of
    yucca and sorghum to produce biofuel.

    --------------
    SUGAR INDUSTRY
    --------------

    ¶6. Costa Rica's sugar industry is privately owned.  Approximately
    53,000 hectares are planted in sugar cane.  Average yield during the
    2004/2005 crop year was 77.3 kg/hectare.  At the industrial level
    one cubic meter of water is required to process one metric ton of
    cane.  At the farm level, sugar cane requires an average minimum of
    1,500 millimeters of water per hectare during the season, with
    location of the farm being an important variable.  In Costa Rica
    sugar cane is planted at altitudes that range from sea level to
    1,700 meters.

    ¶7. Sugarcane harvesting methods in Costa Rica include burning in the
    field, which is regulated by a decree issued by the Ministry of

    SAN JOSE 00002259  002 OF 002

    Health in l996.  Legal actions have been initiated by environmental
    groups against some of the larger mills which provides a further
    incentive for mechanizing operations.

    ¶8. Industry profitability depends on the international price
    situation as well as the allocation of the U.S. and domestic sugar
    market quotas.  With higher world prices during the last marketing
    year the industry is generally in a sound financial position.  Large
    producers are increasingly mechanizing operations, partly motivated
    by a serious labor shortage.  The potential for ethanol expansion
    will depend upon the price of complements (denatured alchol from
    Brazil), substitutes (petroleum and ethanol produced elsewhere) and
    the relative costs of production in countries with preferential
    access to the U.S. market under CAFTA or CBI.

    ¶9. President Arias's family owns one of the largest sugar producers
    in Costa Rica.

    --------------------------
    CURRENT INVESTMENT CLIMATE
    --------------------------

    ¶10. Because CAFTA-DR has not yet been ratified, many investors are
    currently cautious.  Some are already beginning to make investments
    elsewhere in the region to hedge their bets in the event that
    CAFTA-DR is either not ratified or that the implementing legislation
    necessary to bring the agreement into force will not be passed
    before the February 29, 2008 deadline.

    -------
    COMMENT
    -------

    ¶11. The moment seems ripe for biofuels in Costa Rica.  Biofuels help
    polish the country's "green" image, provide new opportunities for
    farmers and lessen Costa Rica's 100% dependence on foreign sources
    of petroleum.  The single biggest boost to the nascent biofuels
    industry likely would be for the GOCR to mandate use of a certain
    percentage blend so that the industry could use that guaranteed
    domestic market to justify ramping up capacity.
    LANGDALE

`