OCI Solar Power and energy professionals group Buenavista Renewables (BVR) joined with the local Mexican government to commemorate what is claimed to be Mexico’s first private solar park. The utility-scale project is to supply energy to private operators and consumers via a 20 year PPA.
The project, Los Santos Solar I, kicked off last week with an official installation ceremony attended by OCI CEO Yook Seok-hwan and governor César Horacio Duarte Jáquez and other stakeholders. The park is the company’s first venture into the Mexican solar market, and it makes a notable debut with the 13.6MW park which is designed to supply energy to private business operators and consumers, including Germany’s Leoni Cables SA de CV and Universidad La Salle Chihuahua (ULSA).
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The US$40 million project was funded through the North American Development Bank (NABD) and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). The park is said to be run by OCI’s US branch in San Antonio, Texas, with BVR serving as lead developer. When Los Santos Solar I is complete, OCI will acquire ownership of the project and take a lead on O&M for the remainder of the PPA.
The new solar park, located in Moctezuma, Chihuahua, is reported to be just the start of a multi-stage project. It begins with the installation of 52,000 PV modules that will contribute to Mexico’s clean energy ambitions, by removing more than 16,500 tonnes per year of carbon dioxide.
The project is the latest update in a string of substantial solar opportunities for Mexico; closely following the reveal of other projects across the country in after the recent power auction.