First Photovoltaic Solar Plant in Latin America inaugurated in Baja California
By Adina Moloman
Sources: Maquila Portal, Renewable
October 14th 2012, was the day when Mexico inaugurated the first solar photovoltaic plant for public service in Latin America. Its exact location is in Santa Rosalia, Baja California Sur.
The solar centre is made of 4,000 solar cells on an area of 6,913 square meters.
The project belongs to the Federal Electricity Commission CFE, the Mexican federal government company, and was built with public funds.
Each photovoltaic cell has the capacity to generate one megawatt of energy, which will provide 2,000 megawatt-hour (MWh), a sufficient amount to service 18,000 users. This is considered the first phase of a major project or the pilot project.
With this installed capacity many communities from Baja California Sur are being supplied.
The project was created with the intention of increasing the capacity of the solar field to 10 MW, ten times the current capacity.
By expanding its capacity CFE is planning to connect Baja California Sur, through a submarine cable, to the power network in Sinaloa in order to provide energy to that state.
Mexico is amongst the top ten countries with the greatest expance of territory with solar irradiation, an absolute necessity in photovoltaic technology use.
This project is part of an ambitious government plan of producing by 2024 around 30- 35% of electric power from renewable sources: solar, water energy and wind.
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