Ebrard Shows Puerto Peñasco Solar Power Plant to Diplomats

On Feb. 2. 2023, Marcelo Ebrard, the Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs, accompanied by Alfonso Durazo, the Governor of Sonora, hosted a visit to Puerto Peñasco’s new landmark solar park in Sonora to show off the infrastructure to 87 ambassadors and representatives of 25 international organizations.

The solar plant is on a 2000ha plot in the desert of Puerto Peñasco, Sonora. It produces power using photovoltaic technology as well as battery energy storage and is expected to have an installed capacity of 1GW with backup for up to four hours. According to CRE, it will have an annual electricity production equivalent to 1041.74GWh, enough to supply energy to 500,000 homes.

Ebrard stressed that the project would make Sonora the main producer of solar energy in Latin America, which is significant as the state will soon play an important role in the automotive sector due to the new electromobility initiatives that will be developed there. "It is a great initiative that puts Sonora at the forefront in terms of solar energy. We have 137 guests from 60 countries who will witness the largest solar plant in Latin America,” said Ebrad.

Durazo pointed out that Puerto Peñasco is the first of six power plants contemplated in the Sonora Plan. “The fact that our visitors show interest in the Sonora Plan, which represents a huge effort from the Mexican government to boost the energy transition, is gratifying,” he commented. 

Ken Salazar, the US ambassador to Mexico, highlighted that the construction of Puerto Peñasco’s solar park is the first full act of the López Obrador administration’s green energy strategy. Salazar underscored this is a sign of commitment that Mexico will be boosting the energy transition and working toward strengthening North America’s economy, an issue Joe Biden and López Obrador addressed during their last encounter at the North American Leaders’ Summit. 

According to Sonora’s government, the solar plant will drive the growth of the agricultural, industrial, service, research, development, innovation and data science sectors in Puerto Peñasco, Caborca and San Luis Rio Colorado in Sonora, as well as Ensenada, Tecate, Tijuana and Mexicali in Baja California.

The government granted Puerto Peñasco a 30-year operating permit. The first phase of the solar park is scheduled to begin commercial activities on May 1, 2023 and the second phase on May 15, 2024.