Mexico's CFE Begins Site Preparation for Combined-Cycle Power Station

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Mexico's state-owned electric utility, Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE) (Mexico City), has signed a contract for the construction of a combined-cycle, natural gas-fueled power station in the municipality of Empalme, in the state of Sonora. The estimated investment for the project is $477 million.

A consortium consisting of SENERMEX Ingenieria y Sistemas S.A. (Mexico) and OHL Industrial Mexico S.A. de CV (Mexico) will be the turn-key contractors for the Empalme 1 power plant. The configuration will consist of two heavy-frame Siemens AG (NYSE:SI) (Munich, Germany) SGT6-8000H gas turbines, with two heat-recovery steam generators (HRSGs) driving one steam turbine generator set.

Empalme 1 will provide about 770 megawatts (MW) at peak capacity, and it will be the first power station in Mexico with H-Class technology.

The facility will help to supply part of the forecasted energy demands by the residential and industrial sectors in northeast Mexico, according to CFE. The utility's network will provide the natural gas to operate the power station.

The project is estimated to create about 1,200 to 1,500 jobs in the surrounding communities at the peak of the construction phase. About 35 to 45 permanent positions will be created for labor security, operation and maintenance of the station.

CFE recently began site preparation for the project. The station is scheduled for full operations by the end of 2017 or early 2018.

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