Sonora Governor-elect Alfonso Durazo Montaño reported an agreement reached with Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador to build an electricity-producing solar plant in Puerto Peñasco. Representing an investment of nearly 1.7 billion dollars, this would be the eighth largest solar plant in the world.
After meeting with López Obrador in Mexico City recently, the Governor-elect detailed the plant is expected to begin operating in December 2023, and would also share electricity to Baja California.
“An already developed model of the plant to be located in Puerto Peñasco was presented,” explained Sonora’s future governor, “It will have a 1000 megawatt capacity, provide electricity to Sonora as well as to Baja California, and benefit over 4 million people.”
“Projections are for an investment of $1,685,000,000 USD, with the additional advantage of interconnecting Baja California with the rest of the country,” detailed Durazo Montaño, “Currently, Baja California is disconnected from the high intensity transmission system.”
Durazo Montaño detailed a 2,000-hectare piece of land, donated by a company in Puerto Peñasco, is ready for construction of this strategic project. He added the Sonora State administration would have a 46% stake, while the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) would have 54%.
“We are designing how to translate benefits obtained by the state administration through this 46% into benefits for poorer families in Sonora,” indicated the governor-elect.
Durazo Montaño emphasized this to be both a self-sustainable and profitable project. He added that CFE already has various options in which it is involved, including National Financing Institute, Exterior Commerce Bank, and Banobras, among others.
“We are still at the beginning phase,” remarked the governor-elect who will come into office in September, “There will be an international bidding process, which will be fully transparent while seeking the best supplier. However, this solar plant should be working at 100% by December of 2023.”