Author: Mauricio Lievana
Mexico City is one of the most solid waste generating cities in the world, producing 13 thousand tons of solid waste per day.
Taking the above into consideration, Mexico city´s government published the guidelines for a public tender for the design, construction, and operation of a thermal solid waste treatment plant that will generate and provide electric power to the city´s subway system, for up to 965,000 MWh per year.
The winner of the tender will be announced by February 27, 2017 and will sign a 33-year contract under a long term service provision project. Once this period is over, the local government will take possession of the plant and become the new owner.
The subway is the first electric power consumer of the city, spending between 17 and 18 billion pesos annually.
Now, with the energy reform and an electric free market these costs can be reduced because it is possible to engage with private generators of electricity instead of buying the electricity directly from CFE.
Reduction of fossil fuels in the generation of electric power is not the only positive aspect about this plant, it is also going to contribute directly with the waste management transportation problem, resulting in a more sustainable city, and boosting the energy transition.
This project represents one of the actions Mexico is taking to meet the commitments stated in the Energy Transition Law in order to have a minimum share of 35% of clean energy in the generation of electric power by 2024.
*Source with the original content: http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/articulo/metropoli/cdmx/2016/12/13/publican-licitacion-para-planta-de-termovalorizacion-de-basura