Enel’s Mexican subsidiary Enel Green Power Mexico has signed an agreement with the country’s Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) to expand renewable energy plants in the country.
Image: Enel to expand two solar and one wind farm in Mexico. Photo: Courtesy of Enel Green Power S.p.A.
Enel’s Mexican subsidiary Enel Green Power Mexico has signed an agreement with the country’s Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) to expand renewable energy plants in the country.
The plants include 754MW Villanueva and 238MW Don José solar parks and 93MW Salitrillos wind farm.
The expansion will see an investment of $97m and addition of 107MW capacity to the three plants. The two solar plants and the wind farm are still under construction.
Enel Green Power Central America and Mexico country manager Paolo Romanacci said: “The expansion of three of Enel Green Power Mexico’s plants confirms our leadership in the country’s renewable energy sector, as we are the first and so far the only company that has signed this type of agreement.”
The company will invest about $64m for the expansion of Villanueva, with $36m towards Villanueva I and $28m for Villanueva III, $21m for Don José and $12m for Salitrillos.
The investment will add 74MW to Villanueva plant, whose capacity will increase from 754MW to 828MW after the expansion.
While Don José solar plant’s capacity will increase from the present 238MW to 260MW, Salitrillos wind farm’s capacity will increase by 10MW from its present 93MW to 103MW, following the expansion.
Enel is investing in the expansion because of an existing option in energy sales contracts linked to the three plants and awarded to the company’s subsidiary in its first two long-term energy auctions.
The contracts for Villanueva and Don José were awarded in the first auction and the contract for Salitrillos in the second auction which took place in 2016.
These three projects are supported by the sale of specific volumes of energy for 15 years and Clean Energy Certificates for 20 years to CFE.
The expanded capacity of the Villanueva and Don José solar farms is expected to become operational in the second half of this year and the Salitrillos wind farm in the first half of next year.
Enel said in a statement: “These expansions also reaffirm our strong focus to deliver on the commitments taken in Mexico’s first two long-term auctions, as well as our contribution to help Mexico achieve the goal of 35% power generation from renewables by 2024.”