CFE confirms benefit of adding ORC units to existing geothermal fields
Geothermal installations of CFE at Los Azufres, Mexico (source: jeeperos.com)
Carlo Cariaga
8 Jun 2022
Augmenting their existing geothermal power plants with ORC units can boost the power generation capacity of CFE by up to 133 GWh per year or equivalent to the demand of 85,000 homes.
Mexico’s state-owned utility and power company Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) has released the results of a study that looked into the potential benefits of augmenting their existing geothermal power plants with Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology. This is a study that was carried out through a cooperation agreement between CFE and the French government’s Study Funds and Assistance to the Private Sector (FASEP), as we reported.
According to the results of the study, the use of ORC units can increase CFE’s geothermal generation capacity by 133 GWh annually, equivalent to the electricity demand of 85,000 homes and an emission reduction of 75 ktons of CO2 per year.
French Ambassador to Mexico Jean-Pierre Asvazadourian congratulated the project team, stating that their efforts have strengthened the tied between the two countries and contributed to their mutual development.
Aside from this project, CFE is also collaborating with other European countries on its energy projects, such as its green hydrogen pilot program. These efforts at international collaboration highlight the company’s interest in modernizing its operations, ultimately towards the goal of achieving the energy ministry’s clean energy transition objectives.
In other recent news, CFE had announced their plans of exploring the geothermal potential in the municipality of Chignahuapan. A 3-year exploration program has been outlined for this project.
Source: CFE
