Mexico Approves Controversial Wind Farm Project in Quintana Roo, Clearing Over 38,000 Hectares of Forest

Chetumal, Mexico — Mexico’s environment ministry has approved the Vientos del Caribe wind farm project, which will clear 38,502 hectares of medium-height forest in southern Quintana Roo to make way for 52 wind turbines.

The project, developed by Spanish-backed company Eólica del Rocío S.A. de C.V., involves an estimated investment of over $182 million. It will be built on communal lands in the Sergio Butrón Casas and Juan Sarabia ejidos within Othón P. Blanco municipality, located just over 14 kilometers from Chetumal and less than eight kilometers from Bacalar lagoon.

According to the environmental impact statement approved by federal authorities, the wind farm will feature 52 Vestas turbines, each with a capacity of 4 megawatts, for a total installed capacity of nearly 208 megawatts. The electricity generated will be fed into the national grid via a 14-kilometer transmission line connecting to the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) substation in Xul-Ha, supported by 70 high-voltage towers.

While the total project area covers 1,871 hectares, at least 209 hectares will be permanently occupied by turbine foundations, platforms, access roads, substations, cabling, and rights of way, resulting in substantial environmental modification.

The forest clearing represents one of the most sensitive aspects of the approval, as the medium-height forest plays a crucial role in carbon capture, climate regulation, and regional biodiversity conservation. Despite this, the official document states the project aims to transform wind energy into electricity and contribute to clean energy production.

Construction will last just over two years and create approximately 360 temporary jobs, plus 15 permanent positions during operation. Each turbine will stand approximately 170 meters tall with 78-meter blades, mounted on circular foundations 23 meters in diameter.

While the developer claims excavations won’t exceed 1.1 meters in depth and that alternative locations exist for equipment relocation if needed, the cumulative impact on communal lands and southern Quintana Roo’s ecosystems has raised questions about the type of energy transition being promoted and its environmental cost.