Mexico hits 20 GW clean energy, expects jump in wind, solar capacity

Mexico’s installed clean power capacity reached 20,160 MW at the end of June 2016, and the country is preparing for solid growth in solar and onshore wind power over the coming years.

A new report by the Secretariat of Energy (SENER) shows that clean energy capacity grew by 6.29% over June 2015. In these 12 months, Mexico installed about 100 MW of new solar parks. It is expected that by end-2019 the total solar capacity would reach 5,400 MW, about 20 times the current figure, thanks to new projects and the contracts for 1,691 MW and 1,853 MW of solar capacity secured in two auctions.

SENER also expects wind capacity to triple, reaching 2,456 MW at the end of 2018, and 3,857 MW at the end of 2019, to a large extend due to the winning projects in recent auctions.

Clean power plants produced 30.6 TWh in the 12 months under review, accounting for 19.68% of total generation. Generation was down 10.38% year-on-year because of reduced rainfall affecting large hydropower plants (HPPs) and nuclear capacity being offline. Still, wind parks and cogeneration plants produced 11.87% and 34.94% more than a year back, respectively.

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