Energía Aljaval to Build 300MW Solar Plant

Spanish renewable energy company Energía Aljaval aims to significantly expand its Mexican solar portfolio. CFE and FONATUR are working together to electrify the Mayan Train. Internationally, Total is gearing up to become carbon neutral by 2050. Read this and much more in your weekly energy roundup!

Mexico

Energía Aljaval to Build 300MW Solar Plant

Spanish renewable energy company Energía Aljaval aims to build the 300MW Alsacia solar park in Chihuahua. Aljaval hopes to bring the project online by the end of 2021, reports Renewables Now. Energía Aljaval already has 663MW in its Mexican portfolio and is still targeting to increase this capacity up to 1.8GW.

FONATUR and CFE to Electrify the Mayan Train

El Financiero reported that the National Tourism Promotion Fund (FONATUR) and CFE signed a collaboration agreement to plan, develop, implement, install and operate the electrical infrastructure for the Mayan Train, the illustrious railway project in Mexico’s Southeastern region.

FONATUR recently announced that in its initial stage, 40 percent of the Mayan Train project will be electrified, this means the railway will operate with a hybrid system of diesel and electricity.

ICC: Support Strengthening of CFE and PEMEX If Private Rights are Respected

The International Chamber of Commerce Mexico (ICC) has stated its support for the government’s policy goal to strengthen PEMEX and CFE, as long as this is carried out respecting rule of law and without harming investment interests of both national and international players.

Regarding energy, the chamber notes the importance of 26 wind and 18 solar plants that are about to come into operation, representing a backing of more than US$6.4 billion dollars of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), according to El Financiero.

CFE Left 50,000 People Without Water, Cuautitlan Mayor Says

The Cuautitlan city council promoted protections against power cuts. Naucalpan closed streets around the mayor's office to prevent the entry of agency personnel, as they would suspend their electricity service, reported El Universal. The reason is a large historical debt in Cuautitlan, leading CFE to cut off power and shutting down 11 water wells in the process. Mayor Ariel Juárez expressed his grievances during a press conference, saying that CFE had no right to cut the power without giving prior notice and furthermore argued that his administration did not owe any money to CFE. By directly contracting other power plants, they managed to reestablish power to the wells.

International

Mexico: Third in Latin America Regarding Energy Investment

A study by BNAmericas reports that Mexico ranks third in investment attractiveness among Latin American countries. Brazil and Colombia surpass Mexico at a time when many companies are reorienting their strategy as a result of the pandemic’s far-reaching effects on global industries. With the energy sector going through a transformative period, it is uncertain what the future holds for energy investment in Mexico.

Total to Invest US$3 Billion in Clean Energy

The French oil and gas company reported that it is gearing up to invest a significant yearly amount in renewable energy. The company’s target is to have 35GW of renewable energy capacity by 2025. Total hopes to be ‘net-zero’ by 2050, for which it also boosts its efforts on electricity production and liquefied natural gas (LNG).