CFE, a Mexican electric utility company, plans to invest 62.8 billion pesos ($3.12 billion) in 2021 to fully adjust its power generation capacity. According to the public sector company's updated business plan for 2021-2025, this figure is 20% higher than the 52 billion pesos invested by CFE in 2020.

The business plan for 2021-2025 includes a total investment of approximately 330 billion pesos. CFE plans to invest about 101 billion pesos in 2022 to build a series of power plants and expand investment in power distribution.

Renewable energy plans are blurred

Although the plan refers to the company's recently announced plan to enter non-traditional renewable energy, it does not include any specific solar or wind energy projects. The plan mentions that many unspecified projects are expected to be put into operation in 2027, which will make their construction start date around 2025-2026.

CFE had earlier suggested that consideration should be given to plans to build 500 MW clean energy projects in 2025 or earlier.

In terms of combined cycle projects, CFE has provided an update schedule for several units. The company expects to complete a series of portable natural gas installations in Baja California in 2021. In 2023, it plans to draw two summary combined cycle units, one with 752MW capacity in Maya River in Yucatan and the other with 459MW capacity in Gonzalez Ortega, Baja California, with construction expected to be in August Start.

There are four projects planned for 2024: the construction of a US$535 million, 4.6-megawatt generator set in San Luis Rio de Janeiro, Sonora, Colorado; a US$214 million, 164MW generator set in Southern California; Yucatán The 500MW unit in Merida, and the first phase of the 1GW Adolfo Lopez Mateos power plant in Takpan, Veracruz.

The remaining large-scale projects of CFE are not within the scope of the business plan. Two of the projects, a new unit of the President Juarez Generation Complex in Baja California, and the maintenance of the Francisco Perez Rios thermal unit in Hidalgo, are expected to be completed in 2026.

Maintenance of the fourth unit of the Norte Power Station in Chihuahua, the fourth unit of the Cerro Prieto Power Station in Baja California, and the Salamanca thermal unit in Guanajuato will be completed in 2027.

At the same time, CFE stated that it will carry out 142 transmission projects in the next five years, including new lines, substations and other equipment, and 33 maintenance plans for existing infrastructure.Editor/Huang Lijun