Iberdrola inaugurates Pier II wind farm in Mexico
The Mexican Secretary for Energy, Pedro Joaquín Coldwell, and the Chairman of IBERDROLA, Ignacio Galán, inaugurated the Pier II wind farm.The event was also attended by the Governor of Puebla State, Rafael Moreno, and the Managing Director of the Mexican Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), Enrique Ochoa.Pier II has an installed capacity of 66 megawatts (MW), becoming Iberdrola’s fifth wind farm in Mexico, having already commissioned La Ventosa (102 MW), La Venta III (102 MW), Bii Nee Stipa (26 MW) and Dos Arbolitos (70 MW).
This new facility to be energised brings Iberdrola’s wind operating capacity in Mexico to 366 MW.Pier II wind farm is located in the municipality of Esperanza, in the state of Puebla in the south of the country, one of the regions in Mexico with the best wind resource. The facility consists of 33 Gamesa G97 wind turbines, each with 2 MW unit capacity and 78 metres hub height.The new infrastructure which required the investment of some US$ 130 million is already supplying renewable energy to 25,000 Mexican households and is responsible for a 55,000 t reduction in annual CO2 emissions.
The turbines are connected to a substation with a reactive capacity of 70 megavolt amps (MVA) built next to the site.It is connected to the national grid via a 115 kilovolt (kV) power line measuring 3.6 km, which was also installed as part of the project. The connection point between this renewable facility and the Mexican grid is the Esperanza substation (115 kilovolts (kV)). The project represented a significant boost to the economy of Puebla State, as an average of 350 local workers were hired to complete construction, including collaboration with a large number of Mexican suppliers.
Pier II is the first wind farm designed by Iberdrola using a supercomputing system which allows for wind turbines to be placed in the spots with the highest energy-producing potential. The company plans to roll out this system to future wind farm facilities on complex terrain. In keeping with its commitment to social responsibility and with a view to supporting the local community, Iberdrola has funded the refurbishment of various amenities in the town of La Esperanza, namely the school, the church and the “Casa Ejidal” local administration headquarters.Iberdrola carried out the Pier II project along with a local partner, the Mabe Group.
