Siemens Inaugurates Solar Energy System at Its Queretaro Plant

Siemens Energy Mexico revealed the expansion of its factory located in Queretaro through an investment of US$52 million. The upgrade will allow Siemens to increase its production capacity by 28 percent, partially by installing 11,100 solar panels as part of its Social Responsibility and Sustainability strategy.

The conglomerate of German companies, with headquarters in Berlin and Munich, reported that it inaugurated a photovoltaic energy system at its Balvanera plant in Queretaro, allowing the company to produce clean energy. The company reported that the Balvanera plant is manufactures low- and medium-voltage boards and switches focused on energy efficiency and has a research and development center. The plant is one of the two that Siemens operates in Queretaro.

The company assured that it was one of the first major industrial companies that committed to achieving a global zero-carbon footprint by 2030. “To achieve this goal, we will invest around US$100 million in energy efficiency projects at our facilities, production sites and buildings," said the President and CEO of Siemens Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, Alejandro Preinfalk.

The executive added that the company has reduced its CO2 emissions by 33 percent since the launch of the program and achieved US$20,380 of savings per year in operating costs from 2020 onward. Siemens’ Vice President of Smart Infrastructure in the region, Marco Cosío, commented that investments in low-carbon technologies increase competitiveness. He assured that this photovoltaic project is a pioneering move: "With the installation of the solar panels, which are effectively connected to an existing power substation, around 1.3GW/y will be generated, powering the plant's daily activities."

Among the benefits that the installation will provide to the factory is the reduction of its carbon emissions. It will also improve the plant’s electricity supply and is estimated to generate significant monthly savings in energy costs by phasing out fossil fuels. The company specified that with the update, the plant will be capable of producing up to 1,000 switches and 4,000 components for export each year, which will be sent to the Dominican Republic, the UK, Canada and the US.

“It is all about energy technology, with more efficient machinery, as well as improvements in production times and in the consumption of water and electricity for our processes,” said José Aparicio, CEO, Siemens Energy Mesoamerica.