Riviera Maya, Q.R. — Given the constant growth of Quintana Roo and the increased need for electricity, the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) has planned five new substations over the next three years.
Miguel Verdín Ruíz, head of CFE communications in Cancun said housing and hotel expansion is eating away at them so work is being done to add substations and reduce blackouts.
“In this area, the expansion is catching up with us and eating away at us. There is a lot of housing, a lot of hotel rooms and perhaps the network is not completely prepared or adequate to be able to provide its services,” he said.
He says the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) is working on increasing the number of substations with the aim of not only reducing blackouts, but also providing service to the new developments of which 150,000 are expected over the next five years.
In the meantime he said the existing lines and substations are being modernized and recalibrated to offer better service.
“In Cancun, the consumption is usually 600 megawatts, but this summer it has risen to approximately 900 megawatts. In the entire Peninsula, the consumption is approximately 1,900, meaning that Quintana Roo receives 40 to 45 percent of the demand for the service,” he explained.
At the moment there are no plans for Quintana Roo to install a combined cycle plant that could generate independently from those operating in Mérida and Valladolid, only the substations that would be established in a period of two or three years, one of which is already in operation.
He explained that the supply is not being exceeded, that what is consumed is what is generated, but when there is maximum demand, any variation in the system can cause blackouts, hence the importance of these substations which will help mitigate the frequent blackouts.
