CFE to Reach 61% Participation in Electricity Generation in 2024

CFE has met President López Obrador’s objectives on electricity generation and keeps working to regain a majority share, said Manuel Bartlett, Director, CFE, during a morning press conference. 

The commission has already reached 52% participation in electricity generation participation and, thanks to the administration's ongoing projects, this percentage is projected to increase to 61% by September 2024, says Bartlett.

Before the energy reform, CFE had 62% participation in electricity generation but it contracted to 16% following the reform, adds Bartlett. To “rescue” CFE, President López Obrador sought to recover CFE’s participation in electricity generation by the end of his term. “The presidential objective has been met,” says Bartlett, announcing that CFE has reached a participation of 52%.

The CFE rescue plan includes the development of 35 projects that together represent 9,000MW of capacity and an “unprecedented investment.” It is projected that with the addition of Iberdrola’s 13 plants, which will add 8,539MW of capacity to the CFE, the company will reach 61% participation in generation in September.

The rescue plan consists of four groups of projects, says Bartlett. “These plants are located in historically relegated areas, such as the Baja California and Yucatan peninsulas. Electrical intermittencies will be compensated.” CFE has also increased generation for the central and Pacific regions, taking advantage of locations where it was already present, leveraging infrastructure, and reducing expenses.

The first group of projects in CFE’s rescue plan is divided into clean energies and refers to 22 projects that will provide 1,500MW from renewable sources. These projects include Puerto Peñasco, a solar park in Yucatan, and the renewal and extension of the useful life of CFE's hydroelectric plants. “With the renewable plants, the CFE reaffirmed itself as the largest generator of clean energy in the country and injected 55% of these into the grid between 2010 and 2023,” says Bartlett.

The second group of projects refers to priority plants, referring to five combined cycle plants in Merida, Valladolid, San Luis Rio Colorado, Tuxpan and Gonzalez Ortega. It also refers to one aeroderivative plant in Baja California. Altogether, these projects will add 4,000MW of capacity.

The third group of projects are short-term ones and include seven thermoelectric plants that will provide around 3,000MW of capacity. The plants, which stand at 80% completion overall, are Manzanillo III, Lerdo, San Luis Potosi, El Sauz, Salamanca, Mexicali Oriente, and Altar. The last two are already completed.

The fourth group of projects includes the acquisition of more power plants. CFE has acquired two plants already in operation, one in Campeche and the other in Baja California Sur, and is modernizing the Lerma plant in Campeche with gas technology. These plants will add 431 MW of capacity.