Gamesa has signed an agreement with the Mexican Electricity Board to promote the development of wind power generation in Mexico by means of the co-development of wind energy projects.
The agreement was signed by Hipólito Suárez, Gamesa’s Managing Director for Mexico & Latam, and Benjamín Granados, Director of Project Finance at the CFE. The signing ceremony was attended by Gamesa’s Business CEO, Xabier Etxeberria, and the Managing Director of the CFE, Doctor Enrique Ochoa.
The two companies have pledged to search for ways to encourage technological, industrial and supply chain development in the sector in Mexico and to champion research, development and innovation in the renewable energy field. The MoU also contemplates the possibility of the CFE studying opportunities for participating in wind projects in which Gamesa has a stake in other Latin American markets and the US. In addition, the MoU will promote the extension of best practices in wind farm operations, maintenance and control.
Gamesa said it is planning to build a wind tower factory through Windar Renovables, the joint venture with the Daniel Alonso Group. The factory will be located in Puerto Altamira, in the state of Tamaulipas, a high-potential wind region. It will have enough capacity to manufacture 500 megawatts per year for the Mexican, US and Central American markets. The construction work is scheduled to begin in December and the factory should be up and running by the end of 2016.
It is also planning to step up the renewable energy training and research activities it already carries out in Mexico through the existing Gamesa University located in Juchitán where local people specialise in operations and maintenance tasks.