Enel has commenced the construction of a 238MW Don Jose capacity solar power plant in Mexico, with an investment of $220m.
Located in the State of Guanajuato at San Luis de la Paz, the solar photovoltaic (PV) plant’s construction is being carried out by the Italian energy and gas major’s Mexican subsidiary Enel Green Power México (EGPM).
The Don José solar facility is expected to be operational in 2018.
Enel renewable energies for Central America head Paolo Romanacci said: “The announcement marks an important milestone for our presence in Mexico, as Don José is the final project to begin construction from the 1 GW of capacity awarded to Enel in the country’s first long-term public tender following its energy reforms.
“This milestone further strengthens our leadership in the Mexican renewable energy sector, while confirming our commitment and ability to successfully contribute to the country’s growth in a sustainable and innovative way.”
Upon its completion, the Don José solar plant will be able to generate annually 539GWh. This is equivalent to the energy consumed by nearly 410,000 Mexican households in a year.
Besides, it would avoid more than 245,000 tonnes of CO2 emission into the atmosphere with its clean power.
Enel has secured a contract to sell the power generated from the Don José solar plant to Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission for 15 years apart from the related clean certificates for a period of 20 years.
Last month, EGPM announced that it had broken ground on the 200MW Amistad wind farm in the Mexican state of Coahuila. The Enel subsidiary said that the new Mexican wind power project would need an investment of about $300m for its construction.