Mexico's national electricity company, CFE, has begun the bidding process for 24 natural gas and electricity projects worth around 150 billion pesos ($9.8 billion), the company announced Monday.
CFE said the bidding process will include eight projects to transport natural gas, four power plants, three projects for electricity transmission lines, substations and nine distribution projects.
The projects will add 2,385 kilometers (1,482 miles) to the gas pipeline network and 1,442 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity into Mexico's national electric grid, according to the statement on CFE's website.
The Director General of the CFE, Enrique Ochoa Reza, said in order to provide higher quality, more environmentally-friendly electricity at a lower cost, it is essential to have modern infrastructure for electricity generation, transmission and distribution, as well as pipelines with sufficient capacity to transport higher volumes of natural gas.
Reza added that 11 gas pipelines are already under construction which will increase the capacity of Mexico's gas infrastructure system by 75 percent.
The Secretary of Energy and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Commission of Electricity, Pedro Joaquin Coldwell, said the new pipeline infrastructure will allow for energy requirements in central, eastern and western regions of Mexico to be met.
By Ovunc Kutlu
Anadolu Agency
ovunc.kutlu@aa.com.tr