Opening of the 132-turbine Oaxaca wind farm

After years of investments and negotiations the windfarm Energía Eólica del Sur has opened in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca. The cost of investment was an estimated $1 .2 billion US-Dollar. The windfarm has a capacity of 396 megawatts and a size of 5000 hectares. Located in the municipalities of Juchitán and El Espinal, it is currently the largest in Latin America. Presently, 62% of all of Mexico´s wind energy is generated in the region Tehuantepec with 28 wind farms.

Implementation despite initial resistance

During consultations with the nearby indigenous populations between 2014 and 2015, the project was successfully approved. National and international organizations were criticizing this, because of the concern that the project would not be in accordance with the international law on indigenous consultations. Because the consultations were held after the construction had started, a group of indigenous Zapotecs sued Energía Eólica del Sur. At first the supreme court ruled in favor of the zapotec population and ordered an immediate temporal stop of construction. Later on the court permitted to continue with the project.

High expectations for the project

The wind farm built by the Mitsubishi Cooperation is expected to yearly keep 567.000 tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. This can be compared to the effect of reducing the number of cars by 300.000 or planting 12 million new trees.

According to the governor of Oaxaca, Alejandro Murat, the project is supposed to have a positive impact on the development of the state and should reduce the costs of electricity. Additionally, the wind farm will appear as an initiative for further investments. At the moment there are many more projects of development planned in Oaxaca state. One of them is the construction of a new gas pipeline and an improved rail line between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean.