Municipalities & institutions

A long-term answer for your canton’s trash.

What you need to know to decide: what the canton gains, the fact sheet, the legal framework and how to start the conversation.

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What the canton gains

Six reasons for the council.

Central Valley landfills are at their limit and fees have already gone up in several cantons. Orchidean One offers stability.¹³

A secure destination

A stable, long-term destination for the canton’s trash, without relying on landfills that close. ¹

Same price or lower

A per-tonne fee equal to or below what the canton pays today to haul its trash to Guápiles or Puntarenas, under a long-term contract with no sudden hikes like those of 2025–2026. ²

Fewer kilometers

Shorter trips that cut transport costs and fleet wear. ⁴

Legal compliance

Moves up Law 8839’s hierarchy: less final disposal, more recovery. ⁵

Data by canton

Reports on tonnes delivered, energy generated and emissions, ready for the council and the Comptroller.

Zero public funds

The investment is 100% private, by ReEnergy. Neither the State nor the municipality puts in a single colón.

Already on board

Municipalities with letters of interest.

The project has been presented to municipalities and the Ministry of Health. These have signed (non-binding) letters of interest:

Santa Ana
Curridabat
Alajuelita
Desamparados
Montes de Oca (San Pedro)
La Unión
and others

Fact sheet

Orchidean One in one table.

For technical reports, council sessions and legislative committees.

Facility type	Waste-to-energy plant for ordinary municipal solid waste
Technology	Belgian-designed moving multi-stage grate, with boiler and steam turbine
Capacity	1,000 t/day
Electrical output	20 MW net
Equivalent	~50,000 homes*
Combustion temperature	850–1,100 °C (gases ≥ 2 s above 850 °C)
Flue-gas treatment	NOx control, acid neutralization, activated carbon and bag filter*
Emissions design standard	Directive 2010/75/EU and Decree 39136-S-MINAE
Monitoring	Continuous measurement, published online and on public screens outside the plant and at the municipalities
Audits	Independent and regular, with public results
Volume reduction	~90%
Ash	Bottom ash reusable in construction; fine ash under controlled handling (Ministry of Health)
Location	First plant: Cartago · Second: Alajuela
Land	10 ha minimum
Studies and permits	6-month target
Construction	18–22 months after permits
Employment	~150 permanent jobs
Investment	100% private, by ReEnergy. No public funds
Municipal fee	Per tonne, equal to or below what it costs today to haul trash to Guápiles or Puntarenas
Waste study	Under way: moisture and heating value of Costa Rican waste

* Estimate, subject to detailed engineering and the ongoing waste study.

Legal framework

Within Costa Rican law.

Law 8839

Integrated Waste Management. Hierarchy: avoid, reduce, reuse, recover (including energy recovery), treat and dispose. ⁵

Decree 39136-S-MINAE

Operating conditions and emissions control for thermal treatment of ordinary solid waste (2015). ⁶

SETENA

Environmental impact assessment: D1 form, Environmental Impact Study and environmental approval. ⁷

Municipality

Land-use certificate under the zoning plan, and building permits.

Firm power also adds security to the national grid, which in 2024 saw blackouts and high spending on thermal generation and imports.⁹

Let’s talk

Request a technical meeting.

We present the project to mayors, councils, municipal federations, committees and technical teams.

See how public monitoring will work →