Mexico
THE NORDEX GROUP IN MEXICO
The Nordex Group in Mexico
As of Q2 2024
1878 MW
IN OPERATION
72 MW
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
15
YEARS IN THE MARKET
The Nordex Group has been active in the Mexican wind energy market since 2009, with the company’s head office located in Mexico’s capital, Mexico City – the hub of the country’s political and economic activities. As one of the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturers, the company focuses on turbines in the 3 to 6 MW+ class. With a local blade factory in Tamaulipas and a concrete tower production facility in Nuevo Leon, it produces high-quality components in a highly competitive and cost-efficient manner for the local market. In addition to all this, the Group also develops projects within the country.
Geographical Footprint
Wind conditions in Mexico vary quite a lot. The northeast of the country, which covers the states Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon and Coahuila, displays good wind potential with medium wind speeds; the company has installed more than 1.1 GW of onshore wind capacity in this area. In the southwestern area around the Oaxaca state, strong wind conditions prevail. This region, with the isthmus of Tehuantepec – with a width of 216 km, the shortest land link between the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific and several mountain areas – is characterized by excellent wind potential, with 8.5 to 10 m/s of average wind speeds and medium shear. Three Nordex Group projects are in operation here, including the windfarm Oaxaca I, II & III – with 306 MW, the group’s largest operational wind farm in the LATAM sales region (Latin America excl. Brazil, March 2021). With an additional smaller wind farm on the Yucatan peninsula, the Nordex Group today has an installed capacity of 1878 MW in onshore wind, with an additional 66 MW under construction.
The N155/4.X
and N155/5.X
…from the Delta4000 Series
The N155 turbines cover a wide range of power modes in the 4 MW+ and 5 MW+ class and improve competitiveness in medium wind conditions
The projects in Mexico are all currently home to turbines from the AW platform, but more recently, the Delta4000 series, especially the N155/4.X and N155/5.X, has added particular sales potential within the market. In fact, the Nordex Group is currently producing 20 x N155/4.X turbines for a windfarm, with a rated capacity of 96 MW, in the north-east of Mexico. The standard technical platform of the Delta4000 series enables the company to continuously develop highly efficient solutions for a wide range of wind regimes, and to adapt the company’s products to different, highly-specific market requirements. The N155 turbine itself covers a wide range of power modes in the 4 MW+ and 5 MW+ class. This variant improves competitiveness in medium wind conditions, as well as in situations where fewer wind turbines on a grid-constrained project may result in a better overall cost of energy.
Outlook for alternative energies in Mexico
After decades during which the Mexican energy market was in the hands of the state, an energy reform was passed in 2013, which included opening up the market for sustainable energy production to private investors, whilst promoting growth in clean energy by 35 percent by 2024, and 50 per cent by 2050. As a result, long-term power purchase agreements (so called PPAs) have become more attractive. And although the Mexican government has placed thermal energy back on the agenda, the reality shows that wind energy, together with photovoltaics (PV, solar) are the most competitive technologies. Today, Mexico has an installed capacity of more than 7 GW of onshore wind energy, and this is forecast to double by the year 2030.