Energy Infrastructure Is Crucial for Industrial Growth

Among this week’s top stories, the industrial real estate sector needs to develop energy infrastructure to keep up with industrial growth. Meanwhile, a preliminary project proposed by CRE threatens to modify important aspects of DG regulation.

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Industrial Real Estate Sector Needs More Energy Infrastructure

In Mexico, the industrial real estate sector is becoming increasingly dynamic due to a nearshoring boom. Over the past decade, the gross profit margin of this real estate sector showed an annual growth rate of 10.2 percent in the northern, central and Bajio regions of Mexico. Availability is expected to set a record for 2022. However, one of the greatest challenges to maintaining the level of growth predicted for the sector in the following years is to build adequate energy infrastructure. Gonzalo Robina, Deputy Director, Fibra Uno (FUNO), stressed that this issue is particularly worrying in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez due to the high demand from industrial players. 

Distributed Generation Might Be Threatened by CRE Project

Distributed generation has grown exponentially over the past 10 years and, according to industry analysts, it is expected to grow at least 20 percent more by the end of 2022. However, CRE’s regulatory project proposes the substitution of net metering with a self-consumption scheme for plants connected at medium voltage. According to various associations, including the Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA), Greenpeace Mexico and Ombudsman Energy Mexico, this proposal would make solar power production less economically viable and therefore should not be approved. The associations recommend maintaining the net metering model for exempt generators that interconnect at medium voltage, while establishing clear methodologies and rules to determine the costs of services, equipment, works or reinforcements required for interconnection. 

Enlight Wants to Join the Chilean Energy Storage Market

Mexican company Enlight has set its sights on the Chilean market, where it expects to take on a leading role in the energy storage sector by 2023. Julian Willenbrock, Co-Founder and CEO, said the current trend in the field of renewable energy points toward the integration of energy storage systems. The implementation of energy storage technology will revolutionize the use of renewable energy, providing efficient and reliable energy and ensuring electrical stability in power sources known for their problematic intermittency. With the publication of the new Law on Storage and Electromobility on Nov. 21, 2022, Chile has announced it is ready for the development of storage projects. 

Solarever Announces Alliance with UNAM and USTC

Solarever reported the formation of the International Alliance for Technological Innovation in Renewable Energy with UNAM’s Renewable Energy Institute (IER) and the Chinese University of Science and Technology (USTC). During the presentation of the alliance, three main objectives were announced. The first goal is to build a technology maturation laboratory, a virtual lab that will be open to receiving initiatives from all interested universities, as well as from private companies in the solar power industry. Secondly, the alliance seeks to carry out research in perovskite solar cells as well as in silicon solar cells with passive layers. Finally, along with UAM, the project will recycle solar panels and cells. 

Energy: There Is No Such Thing As a Free Lunch

Katia Bernal, CEO, Citrus, stressed that the effects of the fossil fuels combustion-based industry are threatening our way of life, not only environmentally speaking but also in an economic manner. Gas is the main source of energy to power the industry, with only a few countries having abundant access to this natural resource. However, there are already proven and cost-effective energy alternatives that the industry can adopt in the short term to tackle gas dependency and have more energy-resilient manufacturing processes. This might include implementing energy efficiency programs for current heating systems, energy distribution and piping and ensuring efficiency at the different points of use. According to Bernal, when it comes to energy, we have to pay the price by leaving our comfort zones and exploring alternatives.

Innovation to Identify Emissions, Key for Energy Transition

Picarro is the industry leader in analytics-driven leak detection and emissions management solutions. Picarro allows companies to measure the flux and rate at which gas escapes infrastructure, which is vastly different from measuring concentrations and much more efficient. This enables customers to increase capital efficiency and improve the safety of their infrastructure. According to CEO Alex Balkanski, for 2023, the company wants to provide mature, powerful and cost-saving solutions to the Mexican market with a focus on savings, emission reductions and safety. In the long term, Picarro’s ambition is to  achieve these goals across Latin America.

10 Things That Happened in 2022: Energy and Offtakers

Maria Jose Treviño, Country Manager, Acclaim Energy, looks back at the energy landscape in 2022 and discusses the Top 10 highlights of the year. As the first outstanding point of the year, Maria underscores the growing public demand for more sustainable development practices within the energy market. “Supply chain audits, financial institution pressure and consumer tendencies have switched organizations' mindsets and led them to look for renewable energy supply,” she pointed out. Click on the link to check out the rest of the list. 

Engie Walking Steadily Toward an Efficient Energy Transition

Engie arrived in Mexico in 1997. Today the company has natural gas transportation pipelines, located in key areas of the country, as well as two power plants in Monterrey and Panuco. Moreover, it will soon have six wind and two solar plants in operation, totaling around 1GW of installed power. Ana Laura Ludlow, Vice President and Chief of Government Affairs and Sustainability, and Felisa Ros, Country Manager Mexico, shared Engie’s outlook on the energy transition and the company’s position to support this process. According to Ludlow and Ros, as an international company, Engie continues to learn and face new challenges, learning from experience with projects all over the world. This allows the company to grow much faster and develop better solutions for each of its partner countries. The French company is committed to accelerating the transition toward a carbon-neutral world, through reduced energy consumption and more environmentally friendly solutions.