Photovoltaic Project at the Central de Abasto

In July 2021, Mexico City’s Secretariat of Economic Development (Sedeco) and the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) signed a mandate and services agreement for the development of studies, engineering, supply, installation and commissioning of the 18 MW Photovoltaic Project at the Central de Abasto (CEDA).

In this project, 1,000 tons of structural steel will be installed on the roofs to support the installation of photovoltaic modules, as well as 250,000 m2 of waterproofing of 23 bays.

Photovoltaic Project

The project’s investment is 700 million pesos, which will be mostly provided by the Fund for Energy Transition and Sustainable Energy Use (FOTEASE) and the Mexico City government.

The project is being developed in 3 stages:

First: installation of 1 MW (two 500 kW distributed generation systems) in two warehouses, which began in March 2022 and will conclude in February 2023, At the close of 2022, 90% progress was made.

Second: installation of 8 MW in 9 warehouses and the interconnection network to the electrical grid, which began in November 2022 and will be completed in July 2023. At the end of 2022, 5% progress has been made.

Third: installation of 9 MW in 12 ships, which is in the process of investigating market conditions for contracting, and is expected to begin in March 2023 and conclude in October of that year.

Trade

The project will be under the control, use, exploitation, operation and maintenance of the CFE, through a collaboration agreement with the government of Mexico City, where the benefits of its commercial exploitation will be shared.

The annual generation will be 25 GWh, which represents 30% of the energy consumed annually by the Central de Abasto.

According to the CFE, the energy will be placed in the Wholesale Electricity Market and/or the Mexico City Electricity Transportation System through an electricity hedging contract.

In January 2023, the CFE published the CFE’s 2023-2027 Business Plan, whose objectives are:

• Increase CFE’s productivity and generate economic value for the State by prioritizing the security of electricity supply.
• Maintain the company’s majority position in the generation of electricity nationwide.
• Contribute to sustainable development and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Increase and diversify CFE’s income through the development of new businesses.
• Mitigate financial, commercial and operational damages related to regulatory asymmetries.
• Strengthen internal control processes.
• Improve user satisfaction and strengthen the company’s reputation.
• Improve CFE’s financial profitability and cash flow, which will translate into greater operating and investment resources.