Ernesto Herrera Novelo, Secretary of Economic Development and Labor (Sefoet), announced that Yucatecos will begin paying less for electricity starting in September, as the Mérida IV combined-cycle power plant is expected to be operational commercially by then.
The official stated that the plant, located in Ciudad Industrial, will start operating in August, with technical tests being conducted during this month. By September, it should be fully operational, benefiting Yucatecos. The benefits of this new power plant include solving electricity outages and reducing the cost of producing electricity, as it will run on natural gas instead of diesel. This could lead to more affordable tariffs for industry and residential consumers.
Herrera Novelo indicated that the benefits will become apparent gradually, as the second combined-cycle power plant being built in Valladolid is scheduled to begin its technical tests in November, with commercial operation expected to start in January 2025. When both plants are operational together, they will generate a significant amount of electricity.
“Within the next 15 years, energy generation in our state will no longer be an issue,” Herrera Novelo said in an interview, adding that the Mérida IV plant will operate on natural gas, which arrives in Yucatán through the Mayakán pipeline, providing 250 million cubic feet of gas per day. This amount is expected to double once the Kuxtal II pipeline project is completed, with construction starting yesterday in Campeche.
