With geothermal energy plants up and running in Baja, California, Coahuila, Jalisco, Michoacan and Puebla, Mexico currently has 959 MW of geothermal energy generating capacity.

Part and parcel of adding significantly to Mexico’s clean, renewable energy capacity, the Los Humeros geothermal energy plants will significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental pollution and degradation associated with fossil fuels, while at the same time reducing Mexico’s dependence on them. The stability, reliability and long-life of such projects will also stabilize energy costs over the long term, insulating the state electric utility and residents from volatile fossil fuel energy prices.

Such projects are also providing a boost to the local economy. Alstom’s contract calls for it to supply complete engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services and products, which include the steam turbine, air-cooled turbo generator, turbine control and distributed control system. The turbine will be produced at Alstom’s Morelia manufacturing facility in western Michoacan state, according to Eureoenergie’s report.

The Los Humeros’ contracts mark Alstom’s successful return to Mexico’s geothermal energy market. Its past work in Mexico included building four, 25MW geothermal energy generation units at Michoacan’s Los Azufres geothermal power plant in 2000 and supplying two, 5MW units at Baja California Sur’s Las Tres Virgenes geothermal power plant in 1998.