Government Requests Renewable Limit During Low Demand Periods

In an effort to protect the country´s energy reliability, CFE has launched a request to reduce renewable energy participation in the grid when demand is low. The request has been backed up by President López Obrador, while Mexico’s private sector offers help to reinforce the electricity system. In other news, a US congressional victory for democrats clears the road for a clean energy reform.

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Mexico

Government Asks to Reduce Renewables to Ensure Reliability

State utility CFE says that CENACE, Mexico’s national grid operator, sees itself forced to cut off part of the renewable capacity from the grid to ensure reliability. Earlier, CFE blamed renewable energy for causing the imbalance that led to the Dec. 28 blackout, which left 10.3 million Mexican households without electricity for hours.

CFE had presented a document reporting that a fire in a field in the state of Tamaulipas was the culprit for the major blackout. Nevertheless, the utility later retracted the statement after civil protection entities in the state said they were unaware of any fires in the area, El Financiero reported. Meanwile, CFE’s Communication Director Luis Bravo said the network failure happened when energy demand was very low and intermittent wind and solar energy generation very high: up to 28.13 percent, a record high for CFE’s transmission and distribution system. This morning, President López Obrador backed up the comments, promising to revise old renewable contracts and focus on CFE’s hydropower.

Private Sector Could Boost the National Electricity System

Due to the electricity generation imbalance suffered by Mexico’s National Electricity System, the private sector has emphasized its willingness to work with SENER, CFE, CENACE and other authorities to strengthen the country’s electricity transmission network. The Business Coordinating Council (CCE) reports that the electricity system has transmission lines that are currently saturated, which has generated costs of more than MX$1.8 billion (US$90 million). CCE highlights that the private sector is willing to support investments in the network, nevertheless the general budget would need to be increased.

CFE Picks Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Substation Backup

CFE has contracted Israeli company GenCell to deliver 37 hydrogen fuel cells to substations across the country. The US$6 million deal includes two years of service and maintenance, GenCell reports.

The Israel-based manufacturer of fuel cell energy solutions won the contract for DC backup solutions as a result of its participation in an international tender. According to the terms of the tender, CFE reserves the right to acquire up to 74 units of hydrogen fuel cells on the same terms, which would increase the value of the deal by up to US$12 million. The delivery and subsequent deployment of the fuel cells is estimated for the first half of 2021.

Anthropology, Fieldwork Bolster Social Impact Assessments

SOWITEC says that in recent years, business development has been influenced by the concept of sustainable development. We can define this idea as a set of principles that seeks to meet our generation’s needs without compromising future generations. As a consequence, we must consider three factors: society, economy and the environment. This can be considered a long-term vision that will allow us to realize progressive and sustainable benefits. Companies in Mexico’s energy sector tend to underline the importance of sustainability. As a result, they have to pay close attention to how they coexist with the community. After all, this relationship has become a crucial factor for renewable energy project development.

International

Georgia Opens up Clean Energy Reform Possibilities in US Congress

During this week’s US Senate runoffs, Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff won the race as democratic candidates, GTM reports. As a result, democrats now have sufficient members in Congress to support president-elect Joe Biden’s US$2 trillion climate plans.

South Korea Opens Renewable Energy Market to PPAs

South Korean Renewable energy producers that have plants of over 1MW are now allowed to sign PPAs with consumers, reports PV Magazine. Local utility Kepco will keep a role as an intermediary in the process, which aims to help South Korea become fully renewable-powered by 2050.