Acciona and Tuto Energy to expand Mexico’s biggest solar plant

Acciona and Tuto Energy will add an additional 112MWp to the project, increasing its capacity by 50%. Source: Acciona Energia.

Spain’s Acciona and Tuto Energy have teamed up to build what will be Mexico’s largest solar plant, by signing a PPA to add an additional 112MWp to the existing 227MWp Puerto Libertad solar project.

The Puerto Libertad PV plant will see its capacity increase by 50% through the joint venture and will produce enough clean electricity to power 489,000 homes annually. The project is located in the Mexican state of Sonora, with the first phase of the project being previously completed by the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) following the country’s second power auction in September 2016.

The additional capacity is scheduled to be completed within the next two years; allowing the 339MW plant to be operational by 2019. Construction will begin in the last trimester of this year, according to the companies.

Acciona will assume EPC responsibilities for the project, in its debut venture into the Mexican solar market. Acciona already claims a market leading position for the country’s wind sector, with 858MW currently installed.

“We are very pleased with this agreement, which gives the Puerto Libertad project the right dimension. It will be the biggest photovoltaic plant in Mexico, from where we will generate electricity to cover already-committed public and private consumption”, said Acciona’s Mexico director Miguel Ángel Alonso. He also thanked Tuto Energy and the Biofields Group – the parent company of the former – “for its trust in our company as a partner for the project and as a client. I am sure that the future will show that this was a sound decision”.

Roberto Giesemann, CEO of the Biofields Group, also commented: “This initiative represents a major step forward in the consolidation of our subsidiary Tuto Energy. We will continue working to position it as one of the key companies in the renewables sector in Mexico. The Biofields Group will continue with its commitment to develop and invest in projects that contribute to the sustainability of our group and our country.”

Tags: mexico, solar pv, acciona, tuto energy, utility-scale solar, pv power plants