Mexico must use all its renewable energy potential in the short and medium term if it wants to attract more private investment, national and foreign, and if it is willing to take serious measures to meet its international emission reduction commitments by 2035.
One of those opportunities, not yet explored, is in offshore wind farms. According to the 2022 Global Offshore Wind Report, the growth of this renewable energy source has accelerated significantly, mainly in China. In the first quarter of 2022 alone, 6,759 MW of offshore wind capacity were installed, compared to 1,627 MW during the first half of 2021. It should be noted that the installation time for a marine (offshore) farm is at least four or five years, while an onshore field can be operational in just a couple of years.
According to the statement issued by World Forfum Offshore Wind, on February 20, in 2022, 33 new offshore wind farms were installed, of which 25 were in China, five in Vietnam, one in the United Kingdom, one in South Korea and one in Italy.
However, despite the rapid growth of this clean energy source in China, Europe is still the leading producer of offshore wind power. But not all European countries have dabbled in this source. In Spain, for example, it was only recently that a regulation of its marine waters was issued: on February 28, the Council of Ministers approved the plans for the regulation of the demarcations, thereby delimiting 18 polygons with a natural vocation for the installation of wind farms. Spain is the fifth country in the world with onshore wind power capacity, with almost 28 GW of installed capacity, but it had not ventured into its seabed.
Mexico does not have a marine regulation of this nature either, it has not been defined which areas of our coast could have a vocation to install windmills. The Secretariats of Energy, Environment, Economy and the Navy would have to work together to advance the tasks to be carried out for this purpose. Advancing in what remains of this Administration would be a catalyst for the next government to start with the possibility of taking advantage of the natural wealth of our country to promote renewable energy, and not only on land.
The next six-year term could be the first in decades with the opportunity to start its first year, that is, 2025, growing at four percent. To do so it needs to attract more investment in manufacturing and invest more in infrastructure. Both will require energy, and not of any kind: it will have to be renewable.
