The Secretariat of Energy (Sener) of Mexico has announced that it had now granted 22 Geothermal Exploration Permits, mainly in Baja California Sur, for projects that aim to generate electricity from geothermal energy. Moreover, there are currently six active Concession Titles for the Exploitation of Geothermal Resources.
According to document sent by the Ministry of Energy to the Senate, the 22 Geothermal Exploration Permit titles have been distributed across different regions accordingly:
6 in Baja California
4 in Jalisco
4 in Michoacán
3 in Nayarit
2 in Guanajuato
1 in Baja California Sur
1 in Chiapas
1 in Puebla
The exploration permits were granted to conduct more detailed geological, geophysical, and geochemical studies of the geothermal areas. This may involve works carried out on the surface and in the subsoil to confirm the existence of a geothermal resource and possibly delineate the geothermal area. This is in preparation of the conditioning of the site and the associated civil works such as assembly of machinery, drilling and completion of geothermal wells.
As for the concession titles, each title is located in a different state – Baja California, Baja California Sur, Jalisco, Puebla, Michoacán, and Nayarit.
The concessions, according to the document, are the legal acts by which the State, through Sener , grants an individual, the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), or the State productive companies, the rights for the exploitation of geothermal resources of a given area, in accordance with the provisions of the Law, its Regulations and other applicable provisions.
In late 2022, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Government of Mexico announced a new funding program to support an increase in power generation from geothermal resources in Mexico. The fund provides access to a series of financial mechanisms to meet the specific needs of each stage of the geothermal development cycle.
