Caribbean Winds Wind Farm Receives Environmental Approval in Quintana Roo

Othón P. Blanco, Mexico — Mexico’s environmental agency has approved the Caribbean Winds Wind Farm, a major renewable energy project planned for the municipality of Othón P. Blanco in Quintana Roo.

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) granted a favorable environmental resolution, authorizing the wind farm’s development. The General Directorate of Environmental Impact and Risk (DGIRA) approved the project, promoted by the company Eólica del Rocío, S.A. de C.V., after evaluating its technical, environmental, and regulatory viability.

The project will occupy a 1,871-hectare site, with only 209 hectares designated for permanent structures. It calls for installing 52 wind turbines, each with a nominal capacity of four megawatts, achieving an average installed capacity of 208 MW. The estimated electrical generation is 200 megawatts.

The infrastructure will include a medium-voltage network, a step-up substation, internal roads, offices, warehouses, and temporary zones for operational activities. A transmission line will connect the project’s substation to the Xul-Ha substation operated by the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE).

The authorization includes platforms for the turbines, foundations, cable trenches, rights of way, and a temporary camp for personnel. To protect the Ucúm River, the resolution mandates the installation of 63 drainage works, such as culverts, floodable fords, and special hydraulic structures.

The step-up substation will be a conventional, air-insulated type with an oil-immersed three-phase transformer and nominal voltages of 115/34.5 kilovolts, occupying approximately 5.1 hectares within the authorized area.

Semarnat granted a validity period of 26 months for site preparation and construction, and 30 years for the farm’s operation and maintenance. The decommissioning stage will have a maximum duration of one year.

The company must present comparative technical, legal, and environmental analyses if it modifies the authorized project. It must also comply with the Social Impact Assessment for the Energy Sector, following guidelines from the Ministry of Energy.

The resolution requires the contracting of a guarantee instrument to back environmental compliance and address potential contingencies. It prohibits any activity not officially authorized by the federal environmental authority.