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Mexico inspired by Danish solutions while investing heavily in renewables
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An expanding middle-class in Mexico with an increasing purchasing power and a steady growth in the country’s economy has the set the energy supply in a state of flux. This prompted several ministers of environment, energy development and economic development from Mexican states to look to Denmark for solutions.
“We are in Denmark because we want to learn more about sustainability and also to see how we can become more efficient when it comes to our energy use in buildings. We also want to learn about the energy projects that Denmark has - and to see how we in Mexico can follow the example so that we can be more energy efficient”, said the Director for Energy Development at the regional Nuevo León Ministry of Economic Development and Jobs, Jorge Gorozpe Velázquez.
The Mexican delegation of civil servants is right now taking an inspirational trip round Denmark to experience the technologies readily available, which could supply renewable energy to millions of Mexicans. This will take them by some of Denmark’s leading greentech companies such as Vestas and AVK, while also focusing on some of the smaller companies like Arcon Sunmark and the know-how from Danish municipalities that are engaged in public-private partnerships.
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Sun and wind in high demand
Denmark is a global leader in wind technology and an increasingly important player in solar heating. These two solutions were of particularly high interest for the Mexican delegation, as the country has an abundance of both wind and sun.
Mexico is investing heavily in wind energy as the country has set a goal of increasing the total amount of energy in clean, renewable sources to 35 per cent by 2024, and 50 per cent by 2050 – from 26 per cent today.
“For the State of Nuevo León, which is where I come from, it is important to attract greater wind projects and Vestas is one of the biggest players globally. So, we want to see what they are doing and to see how Nuevo León and other states can apply it themselves as well as attract other wind projects to the country. This is important for the development of renewable energy”, said Jorge Gorozpe Velázquez.
The coming 15 years will see large investments in the Mexican energy sector. 24 per cent of the estimated investments are expected in wind projects and 13 per cent in solar projects.
Water security is a growing concern
The delegation is very focused on solutions that will ensure the supply of sustainable energy for future utilities. Another pressing issue, however, where Denmark is also at the forefront of the solutions, is efficient and safe water supplies. The innovative solutions presented by Danish companies dealt with wastewater treatment and ensuring a stable water supply.
The delegation will visit the Marselisborg Wastewater Treatment Plant in the city of Aarhus to see how wastewater is treated while optimising the plant’s energy consumption. The excess energy from the plant is enough to serve the demand of other wastewater treatment facilities and water supplies in the region. This solution would be very beneficial in Mexico, where water scarcity is expected to become a major future challenge.
“There are states (in Mexico) where we already have great projects and actually Nuevo León has been working on the investment projects to focus on wastewater treatment so that we can become better consumers”, said Jorge Gorozpe Velázquez.
The Mexican delegation will be in Denmark from 13 - 17 May.
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