The Costa Rican Petroleum Refinery (Refinadora Costarricense de Petróleo, RECOPE in Spanish) is a state-owned institution, considered the biggest company in Central America. Since its creation in 1963 (and nationalized in 1974), RECOPE focuses its operations on import and distribution of fossil fuels in Costa Rica. In the research field, RECOPE has an experimental plant of biodiesel and through internships and agreements, works with public universities of Costa Rica and research centers in the developing of alternative fuels like biofuels, natural gas and hydrogen.