Defining the technological roadmap for biomethane in Costa Rica
At IDOM, we have completed the development of the Technological Roadmap (TRM) for biomethane in Costa Rica, an initiative aimed at driving the decarbonization of heavy transport and the valorization of agro-industrial waste.
The study highlights the significant potential of biomethane to transform heavy transport in the country, which currently depends entirely on imported fossil fuels. To advance this transition, the roadmap defines 16 actions across the short, medium, and long term.
As the project’s closing milestone, we held an in-person workshop in San José, Costa Rica, at the headquarters of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), to present and validate the results, with the participation of institutional representatives, technical experts, and stakeholders from the productive sector.
The Roadmap includes pre-feasibility studies for the deployment of biomethane-powered trucks and the development of refueling stations. In addition, we projected the evolution of the heavy transport fleet through 2040 and defined the required network of stations to meet expected demand, integrating technical, financial, socio-economic, and environmental analyses.
The proposal outlines an initial pilot phase of approximately 344 trucks, which could scale—if the necessary conditions are met—to a range of between 7,000 and 38,000 vehicles by 2040, depending on the effective production of biomethane. This rollout would initially focus on key logistics corridors and could evolve into a nationwide network of hundreds of refueling points, progressively transforming the energy model for freight transport.
The analysis also identifies the need to bridge the competitiveness gap with diesel as a key challenge. To address this, we propose measures based on international experience, such as incentives for early adoption of trucks, co-financing of refueling infrastructure, and other support mechanisms targeting stations, fleets, and producers.
The main results and recommendations of the project were presented by José Luis Royero, Operations Consultant at IDOM and Project Director. The workshop also featured the participation of Gabriela Alvarado, IDOM’s representative in Costa Rica, and Diego Tafur, Operations Consultant, who acted as moderator, as well as the support of IDOM Colombia’s Environment team, led by Carolina Barrera.
The opening session brought together representatives from CABEI, the Costa Rican Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), the Legislative Assembly, and the European Union, who highlighted the role of biomethane in advancing the country’s decarbonization, energy security, and circular economy goals.
Active participation throughout the session enabled the validation of the diagnostics and priorities defined in the roadmap, incorporating key contributions from the various stakeholders involved.
With this project, we strengthen our expertise in energy planning and the transition towards low-carbon models in Latin America, supporting institutions in designing solutions tailored to the challenges of each territory.
