CFE Seeks Private Company to Build Natural Gas Pipeline

CFE is seeking private companies to build and operate a 500MMcf natural gas pipeline and a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) terminal. The new gas pipeline would run from Chinameca, Veracruz to Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, and would supply gas to a 430 MMcf / d FLNG terminal in Santa Cruz port.

CFE said it would sell the gas to the FLNG operator under a 25-year contract, which would allow the operator to have exclusive rights to commercialize the liquefaction capacity and the volumes of LNG produced. In addition, the operator would assume full ownership of the projects and their risks, in return the operator will receive "security and certainty" in the gas supply. According to CFE, the project will help it monetize its excess pipeline capacity, as well as contribute to the development of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

New Solar-Powered Technology is Cleaning Xochimilco’s Canals

Mexican scientists have managed to utilize solar energy to create “nanobubbles” capable of cleaning the historical Xochimilco canals, considered a popular tourist attraction. This new technology consists of a solar-powered pump that releases the nanobubbles into the water. With it, scientists are now able to clean the long-polluted waters of various canals of Xochimilco, declared in 1987 a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its appeal as a remnant of the long-gone Aztec era.

Maya Train will Not Be Powered by Solar Energy

FONATUR has announced it has suspended plans, for the time being, to develop or install any solar-powered energy capacities for the Maya Train project. Rogelio Jiménez, FONATUR Director, announced that plans to install 200MW of solar capacity to help reduce the environmental impact of the project had been postponed to, at least, the second half of 2022. He also mentioned that the project is currently focused on more functional parts of the infrastructure, such as railroads and stations scattered throughout the states.

A Resort’s Renewable Solutions Underline Tourism Potential

A variety of renewable energy solutions for a Playa del Carmen -based wellness resort highlights the potential for Mexico’s tourism industry to decarbonize while saving on energy costs, as well as for renewable energy companies to provide a fitting solution.

Renewable energy developer and supplier Beetmann signed a 10-year contract with wellness resort ‘Palmaïa, the House of AïA’, located on the Caribbean coastline of the Rivera Maya, reported Luxury Travel Advisor. The goal is to supply the resort with 100 percent renewable energy over the course of the contract, reducing its carbon emissions by more than 56,000 metric tons. For Palmaïa, the PPA is not its only clean energy solution. The resort is also working with Solarfuel, a residential and C&I-focused solar panel installer to place over 2,000 panels across its territory. Solarfuel furthermore partnered with a local company to install a heat pump, eliminating the resort’s dependence on natural gas.

Ten Electric Units have been Added to Mexico City’s Metrobús

Mexico City´s mayor Claudia Sheinbaum reported that ten electric units have been incorporated to the Metrobus fleet in Mexico City in an effort to transform Line 3, in what is being called a path to zero emissions and the first step in turning all buses into electric ones. This particular route will travel through four distinct boroughs (Gustavo A. Madero, Azcapotzalco, Cuauhtémoc, and Benito Juárez), and it is intended to be the first in a bid to move Mexico City’s public transportation into green energies. Should the entirety of the fleet be replaced with electric units (780 vehicles), up to 14 tons of gas emissions could  be avoided in ten years. 

Cox Energy America: Raising Capital for a Strategic Plan

Cox Energy America (COXA) seeks to raise US$32 million in capital in a second PO offering to implement its strategic plan for the period 2020 – 2024 period, which details expansion plans in solar photovoltaic (PV) projects with a total energy production capability of 1,400 MW throughout the region.

For Mexico, specifically, it is to have 600 MW in operation plants and in partnership with Nexus Energia to commercialize energy focused on large clients. According to José A. Hurtado de Mendoza, CEO of COXA who was recently appointed to lead expansion efforts in the region, the approach in Mexico is based on its recognition of “the great problem of saturation of transmission networks.”