Mexico’s Ocean Energy Discovery in Cozumel Channel

For decades, the Gulf of Mexico has been synonymous with a single resource: petroleum, the “black gold” that has driven the region’s economy, despite high environmental costs and the dependency it generates. This industry has long been the most coveted and exploited maritime treasure in the country. However, in the 21st century, the search for the greatest treasure has shifted focus. It is no longer about extracting a resource that depletes and pollutes, but about harnessing an inexhaustible and clean source that moves right beneath the waves.

A Completely Unexpected Change

Technology is advancing to capture this natural wealth, which promises a much brighter energy future. After years of research and development, Mexican scientists have confirmed that in their own waters lies an energy resource of global scale. They have identified a resource so powerful and constant that its long-term value could rival the region’s hydrocarbon reserves.

It’s over for petroleum in the Gulf of Mexico: they found the greatest treasure in history in the sea. This is the energy potential of the Cozumel Channel marine current, a natural force capable of supplying electricity to one million homes and ranked among the 16 best places in the world for generating ocean energy.

A Treasure Full of Energy

Ocean energy is a renewable energy source that is only beginning to be explored, with few prototypes installed in countries like France or South Korea. But Mexico has an immense natural advantage: the potential of the Cozumel Channel current makes it a strategic point. However, the opportunity doesn’t remain theoretical: there is already an advanced project.

According to recent reports, the first ocean current energy plant in Mexico has already begun operation. This plant will use four turbines placed at 82 meters depth to minimize its impact on marine fauna, harnessing the constancy and strength of the currents that characterize the area.

This technology, along with other types of marine energy (such as tidal, wave, or thermal gradient energy), makes Mexico a “very representative snapshot of global potential,” according to Dr. Rodolfo Silva Casarín, researcher at UNAM and head of the Mexican Center for Innovation in Ocean Energy (CEMIE Océano).

A Major Ecological Challenge

Despite the optimism, scientific research warns that marine energy generation must be done with moderation and responsibility. Dr. Silva emphasizes that research is needed that combines technology development with ecological data from the installation area. “Renewable energy could start to be considered dirty if the negative effects of its utilization are greater than the positive ones,” warns Silva.

If precautions are not taken, marine energy could damage the local climate or disperse elements that affect marine life. Therefore, the CEMIE Océano research team not only seeks to generate electricity, but also works on ecological solutions, such as a membrane made with sargassum to produce very cheap energy, one hundred times more economical than what exists now.

The potential of ocean energy in Mexico is unquestionable, but its deployment still lacks the momentum of solar or wind energy. This energy should be a complement, not a replacement. But if Mexico manages to maintain research, develop its own technologies, and ensure ecological balance, the Cozumel current and other key points, such as the Gulf of California and Baja California, can provide the country with a constant and secure energy source, key for a diversified energy matrix that will finally leave behind the dependency on “black gold.”