Enel starts operatng two wind farms in Mexico

“We are very pleased about the entry into service of these two new wind farms, which strengthen Enel’s leadership in Mexico’s renewables sector”, said Paolo Romanacci, Enel’s Head of Renewable Energies for Central America and General Director of Enel Green Power México. “Renewables play a key role in the diversification of the country’s energy mix, while boosting its sustainable economic development. With these two new plants, we are contributing to Mexico’s clean energy targets as well as creating shared value for local communities through sustainable agriculture and other infrastructure projects carried out in cooperation with local partners.”

Enel invested around 250 million US dollars in the construction of Palo Alto as part of the investments outlined in its current strategic plan. Palo Alto is supported by long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs).The plant, located in the municipality of Ojuelos, comprises 43 wind turbines that each have a capacity of 3 MW. Palo Alto is able to generate over 350 GWh per year – equivalent to the annual energy consumption needs of around 200,000 Mexican households – while avoiding the emission of about 200,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere each year.

The Group invested about 220 million US dollars in building Vientos del Altiplano as part of the investments outlined in its current strategic plan. The wind farm is also supported by long-term PPAs. The facility, located in the municipalities of Mazapil and Villa de Cos, is made up of 50 wind turbines, each with 2 MW of capacity. The wind farm is able to generate over 280 GWh annually, equivalent to the yearly energy consumption of over 161,000 Mexican households, while avoiding the annual emission of approximately 157,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Enel is the largest renewables operator in Mexico in terms of installed capacity and project portfolio. Through EGPM, the Group now operates around 729 MW of installed capacity, of which 675 MW is wind power and 53 MW hydropower. Additionally, Enel is set to begin construction of three solar PV projects with a total capacity of around 1GW1: Villanueva and Villanueva 3, both located in the State of Coahuila, will have a combined installed capacity of 754 MW, while Don José in the State of Guanajuato will have an installed capacity of 238 MW. The company is also set to build the 93 MW wind project Salitrillos in the State of Tamaulipas.