Two Energy Storage Projects Proposed for Riviera Maya to Prevent Blackouts

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Two energy storage projects have been proposed for the Riviera Maya to capture electricity that would otherwise be wasted and make it available during peak demand periods or emergencies.

The proposals were submitted this weekend to Mexico’s Environment and Natural Resources Secretariat (Semarnat) by companies Atlántica and Quartux Almacenamiento de Energía SAPI de CV. The applications seek land use changes for two 1.5-hectare sites through a unified type B procedure.

The first project would be located in an area known as Kantenah, south of Playa del Carmen, while the second would be situated about 200 meters north of the Riviera Maya substation in Puerto Morelos municipality.

According to submitted documentation, each system would have a transformation capacity of 20 megawatts and storage capacity of up to 60 megawatt-hours (20 MW/60 MWh).

The companies anticipate approximately 12 months for site preparation, construction of civil and electromechanical infrastructure, and commissioning. The systems would then operate indefinitely.

The project called SAE Kantenah would be installed on the San Francisco property south of Puerto Aventuras, within Environmental Management Unit 12 of the CALICA-Akumal corridor.

Documents indicate the project is not within any protected natural area polygon, though it falls within the influence zone of the Mexican Caribbean Biosphere Reserve and near the Felipe Carrillo Puerto Flora and Fauna Protection Area. This region contains high biological diversity in the state.

The area hosts approximately 61% of Quintana Roo’s amphibian species, 40% of reptile species, 437 vascular plant species (26% of the state total), 63% of bird species, and about 32% of mammal species.

The environmental impact study acknowledges potential effects including vegetation removal, soil sealing from infrastructure, construction emissions, possible erosion, and soil and water impacts from waste or spills.

The document also notes potential changes to flora and fauna species abundance and distribution, with developers proposing various prevention and mitigation measures.

If approved, these storage systems would provide electrical energy reserves that could be used during high-demand periods, such as during intense heat waves when widespread air conditioning use causes grid overloads and blackouts in Playa del Carmen neighborhoods.