CFE approved to build 10 MW Amata small hydroelectric project

CFE approved to build 10 MW Amata small hydroelectric project

Mexican state-owned utility CFE can move forward with a 10 MW small hydro plant in Sinaloa state after winning approval from environment ministry Semarnat, according to BNamericas.

Recently obtained by Forbes México, the documents detail plans for the Amata hydroelectric project (listed as PEH Amata) in Cosalá municipality, at a cost of MXN429 million (US$21.1 million) and with construction expected to last 2.5 years.

The documents show that Semarnat’s approval came on Dec. 9 and that CFE launched a tender to purchase equipment for the project in late November, which is still pending adjudication. The tender does not appear in CFE’s online listing.

PEH Amata is part of a larger push to expand Mexico’s hydroelectric capacity, with hydro hailed by the current administration as a critical factor in meeting clean energy targets. The modernization plan for hydroelectric power plants includes adding 248 MW to the more than 12 GW of installed capacity.

The project’s construction will take advantage of existing infrastructure around the dam to complement it with civil and small-scale electromechanical works, according to the report from Forbes México.

The small hydro generator will be fed by runoff from the San Lorenzo River, discharged by the Raúl Jaime Marsal Córdoba (Comedero) hydroelectric plant.

PEH Amata will be capable of year-round generation to respond to demand in northwestern Mexico. Government estimates see the country’s demand growing by an average of 2.6% annually during 2020 to 2034.