Mexico awards three geothermal exploration permits to Enal and Grupo Dragón
Cerro Prieto geothermal plant (source: Government of Baja California, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
29 Aug 2016
Mexico's Ministry of Energy has awarded three geothermal exploration permits to Mexican companies ENAL and Grupo Dragón. The permit areas are located in the states of Guanajuato, Baja California and Jalisco.
In a press release last week, Mexico’s Ministry of Energy, through the Directorate General of Clean Energy, announced having awarded three new exploration permits geothermal resources in the states of Guanajuato, Baja California and Jalisco.
After fulfilling all the requirements of the Geothermal Energy Act (LEG) and its Regulations, exploration permits were given to ENAL Group and Dragon Group. Both companies are 100% Mexican companies with engineering knowledge, specializing in the development of geothermal power projects, from early phase of development until the development of a geothermal power plant. ENAL and Grupo Dragón have extensive experience in the sector and have highly qualified personnel in all specialties required for a project of this nature.
Geothermal energy is clean, with minimal emissions to the environment, constant production renewable resource whose surface to install a geothermal plant MW, it is lower than other plants. Mexico ranks fourth worldwide in installed capacity of electric power, with five geothermal fields in production.
As part of the energy reform, in August 2014 the new Law on Geothermal Energy which regulates the recognition, exploration and exploitation of geothermal resources Mexicans was issued. The entry into force of this Act has enabled encourage growth potential of the geothermal industry exponentially. Since its publication date, little less than two years, have been awarded six concessions for exploitation of geothermal resources and 18 exploration permits with estimated over 500 additional MW potential.
The permissions granted to ENAL Group are located in the states of Guanajuato and Baja California to explore geothermal resources in an area of 144 and 145 km2 respectively, while the permission granted to Dragon Group is located in the State of Jalisco to explore an area of 105.45 km2, such permits are valid for three years and are renewable only once.
Source: SENER
