Solar energy in Mexico

The Aura Solar I power plant is one of the largest photovoltaic projects in Latin America and is located on a 100-hectare site in La Pat, the capital of the Mexican state of Baja Californi. With the help of solar energy, 80,000 MWh of electricity can be generated annually with an installed capacity of 39 MW. The large-scale photovoltaic power plant is an important stimulus for Mexico's path towards sustainable energy. By replacing fossil fuels, the project reduces harmful emissions and helps mitigate the environmental risks of transporting hydrocarbons into the fragile Gulf of California ecosystem. In addition, Aura Solar provides employment for local workers and technical training for employees.

In recent years, renewable energies have boomed in Mexico. Wind energy in particular almost doubled between 2018 and 2020, while solar energy capacity grew from 674 megawatts (MW) to 5.6 GW during this period. The increase illustrates that with the right support, Mexico could achieve a high pace of renewable energy expansion. Today, 24 percent of electricity comes from renewable sources. But the share of oil, coal and gas is still very high. Oil in particular is considered a central part of the national self-image in Mexico. In the state of Coahuila, where most of Mexico's coal reserves are located, the end of coal production is actually set for 2026. According to the decision of his predecessor in office, Enrique Peña Nieto, the last coal-fired power plant in the country should close after that. But the new government's draft budget provides for the modernisation of three coal-fired power plants. According to the plan, Mexico wants to cover one third of the national electricity demand from renewable energies by 2024. Mexico has more than enough potential for switching to renewable energies: between the Atlantic and the Pacific, so much wind blows that wind farms could cover a quarter of the country's electricity needs within a few years; the same applies to solar power and geothermal energy, for which volcanism offers great opportunities.

Concentrated solar power (CSP), also known as solar thermal electricity, has been around since the 1980s. Instead of converting sunlight directly into electricity, as photovoltaics (PV) does, it relies on the core technology of fossil fuel power generation: Steam turbines. The difference is that concentrated solar power does not use coal or natural gas, but uses solar radiation as its primary fuel - carbon-free. Mirrors, the essential component of any CSP plant, are bent at specific angles to focus the sun's incoming rays, heat a liquid, create steam and turn turbines. Because CSP relies on large amounts of direct sunlight, it is best suited to hot, dry regions with clear skies. A key advantage of CSP is energy storage. Unlike PV panels and wind turbines, CSP first generates heat before it generates electricity, and heat is easier to store. If CSP plants are equipped with molten salt tanks for heat storage, they can still produce electricity after sunset.

The Aura Solar I solar power plant is located on a 100-hectare site in La Paz, the capital of the Mexican state of Baja California in Mexico.