IEnova secures 15-year power deal for 150 MW solar park in Mexico

Mexican gas and electric utility IEnova, a unit of U.S. natural gas services company Sempra Energy, has announced it has secured a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with subsidiaries of department store chain El Puerto de Liverpool. IEnova said the contract was for the sale of energy to be generated by a 150 MW solar park it is planning in Juarez, in the state of Chihuahua.

The solar project, according to the company, should be grid-connected in the second half of next year and the project will cost around $160 million.

“This operation reiterates the confidence and commitment of IEnova with the development of the country’s energy infrastructure and consolidates it as one of the main companies in the production of clean energy in Mexico,” the utility said. No further details were revealed about the project or PPA.

IEnova signed a similar 15-year agreement with El Puerto de Liverpool last year, for electricity from a 125 MW solar park it is building in Benjamin Hill in the state of Sonora. The power company said in a press release at the time the $130 million Benjamin Hill solar park would have the capacity to supply the retailer and other unidentified energy consumers and would begin commercial operation in the second half of this year.

In October IEnova secured a 15-year PPA with an unspecified number of subsidiaries of Scotiabank Inverlat, SA, Multiple Banking Institution, Scotiabank Inverlat Financial Group.

In 2017, the company signed a 20-year contract for another 110 MW solar project it developed with Mexican steelmaker Deacero. And the utility has built two other PV assets in Mexico: the 53 MW Rumorosa Solar project and the 133 MW Baja California y Tepezalá II facility. Both projects were selected under Mexico’s energy auction of September 2016.