New Geothermal Power Plant to be Built in Mexico

New Geothermal Power Plant to be Built in Mexico

In September, Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) reached an agreement with Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. to build another 50 MW geothermal power plant. The power plant will be constructed in the region of Michoacán, and will be completed by the end of 2014. This power plant is the fifth part of the Los Azufres III project. When completed, it will be the twelfth geothermal plant constructed by Mitsubishi for Mexico. 

Mexico is the fourth largest provider in geothermal power. Ranking behind the United States, the Philippines and Indonesia, Mexico has a geothermal energy capacity of over 900 MW. In 1959, it installed the first geothermal power plant in the Western hemisphere. 

Renewable clean energy development benefits local economies. Geothermal energy, simply put, is the heat from the earth. It comes from either the center of the earth, or from the sun. It lowers the need to pay for imported fossil fuels, and also helps generate even more economic development opportunities. This reliable electricity is produced at a stable price, and also generates electricity in a way that keeps environmental impacts and emissions to a minimum. An advantage it has over other renewable energy sources such as solar and wind powers is that geothermal energy is not intermittent. 

Because of economic growth, the demand for electricity has also risen. The new plant will allow the CFE to meet this need in a way that is economically and environmentally conscious.