Mexico announces the largest photovoltaic project in Latin America

    The Mexican government plans to develop what it claims will be the largest Solar Powered System power plant in Latin America. The array will be built in Port Penasco, Sonora, one of the best solar power generation areas in the world.

    The project was originally announced by the country’s power company, the CEO of CFE, Manuel Bartlett Dias and Mexican President Manuel Lopez. They claim that the solar facility will become the largest solar park in Latin America and the eighth largest solar park in the world. Currently, Mexico's largest operational photovoltaic project is the 750 MW Villanueva power station, which was built in 2016 by the Italian power company Enel.

    Last week, the Governor of Sonora State Alfonso Durazo (Alfonso Durazo) stated that the project requires an investment of approximately US$2 billion and the construction will be carried out in several stages. He did not provide any details about the financing of the project, but considering that the Obrador government has been opposed to granting the sole permission to build power assets to private investors, it is likely to establish a public-private partnership.

The plant is expected to occupy approximately 2,000 hectares. Construction also requires the deployment of a new connection line. This project is part of CFE's overall plan to modernize its power assets and power distribution system.

    CFE is currently developing two photovoltaic projects with a total capacity of 350 MW in Baja California. After opposing the energy reforms introduced by the Pena Nieto government in 2013, it has only recently switched to solar energy. Through these reforms, a successful renewable energy auction program was introduced, and thousands of megawatts of solar energy were deployed nationwide, including 11 large-scale solar power plants in Sonora State