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Panama has officially opened the largest wind farm in Central America, which will play a key role in moving Panama to cleaner, more sustainable sources of energy.

The facility, Wind Farm Penonomé, which is located about 150 kilometers east of Panama City, includes 108 wind turbines and cost about $570 million to build. It will have the ability to generate 270 megawatts of clean energy, which could represent about six to seven percent of the country’s electricity needs, according to La Prensa.

The wind farm is the 13th largest in the world, behind facilities in the U.S., the U.K. and Belgium, the paper reports. The biggest investor is U.S.-based InterEnergy Holdings, which owns energy assets in Dominican Republic, Chile and Jamaica.

Wind is expected to play a key role as the country moves to develop clean energy sources to keep pace with the fast-growing economy. Panama currently relies on thermal plants and hydroelectric plants, which are large polluters and are undependable in dry periods.

Wind energy will help Panama cut the release of approximately 450,000 tons of carbon into the environment and mitigate the emission of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide, reports Panama Wind Union, the consortium operating the facility.

This type of clean energy investment also represents the latest step in Panama’s emergence as a modern country, a regional leader establishing state-of-the-art facilities for its fast-growing population and industry.