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FONATUR transforms company to supply energy to the Mayan Train

- December 7, 2020

In order to guarantee the supply of electricity that the Mayan Train will use in its electrified sections, the National Fund for the Promotion of Tourism (FONATUR) will build solar panel farms in Quintana Roo and Yucatán through a subsidiary.

In his participation in the signing of an agreement with the Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism (Concanaco Servitur), Rogelio Jiménez Pons, director of the federal agency, said that massive installations of solar panels will be built to generate electricity to supply the 874 kilometers of double track that includes the sections from Mérida to Cancun and Cancun to Chetumal.

He commented that this determination was reached due to the fact that the Yucatán Peninsula has a deficit in terms of electrical energy so that in conjunction with the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), Fonatur will help to improve conditions.

He added that this action is independent of the Mayan Train project, so FONATUR transformed the FONASOL company to generate electricity.

He added that the profits obtained by the subsidiary will be directed to cover the needs that have been discovered by the cuts in the budget regarding environmental and social spending.

In this way, it will support different improvement actions carried out by the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) as well as housing conditions carried out by the Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development (SEDATU).

Jiménez Pons explained that the cost for each megawatt amounts to around 1.5 million dollars pesos, but this is due to the problem of storage capacity that exists since it is solar energy, its production is interrupted by cloudiness, at night and other factors, so it causes ups and downs in the national electricity system.

Therefore, systems are required to guarantee energy savings for when the backup needs to come into operation.

Logistics parks

In conjunction with the president of CONCANACO SERVITUR, José Manuel López Campos, the official pointed out that the Mayan Train project seeks to promote the emergence of merchandise collection and distribution centers, which will favor the trade and services activity of four of the five states involved. “This agreement can open many facets of cooperation with the trade sector,” he said.

He added that it seeks to create cold network chains, link with airports in the southeast region, as well as with seaports such as Progreso in Yucatán.

“The Mayan Train has planted some important logistics centers such as Cancun, right here (Mérida) we are planning the creation of a logistics center if the project for the new airport is carried out,” he said.

He added that the creation of several logistics centers will be encouraged, but their capacity and extension will depend on the tributary zone since now that Chetumal has been declared a free duty zone.

He argued that it is a collateral investment since it is private capital and even Mérida and Cancun will be the largest due to population density.

Source: jornada.com.mx

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