The mixed scheme promoted by the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) not only redefines the development of new generation capacity in Mexico, but is also creating an unprecedented demand for the energy storage market, a segment that until a few years ago remained practically absent from national electricity planning.
The 37 projects awarded under this mechanism, totaling approximately 7,400 MW of capacity , must incorporate 3-hour energy storage systems equivalent to 30% of their capacity. Some initiatives even far exceed this threshold. Such is the case of the El Chorro project, promoted by Teralia, which includes a battery integration of nearly 45%.
This scenario is compounded by the A specific call for proposals for storage will be open from July 6 to August 6, an additional sign that batteries are beginning to play an increasingly important role in the country's energy strategy.
In this context, major global manufacturers are already positioning themselves to capture some of the demand that could arise in the coming years. Among them is CATL , a world leader in energy storage and electromobility, which confirms its participation in Mexico's current program.
This was stated by Ricardo Garro, Sales Director for Latin America at CATL, to Energía Estratégica. While the executive avoided mentioning any specific awards, he acknowledged that the company is already involved in various evaluation and development processes.
For his part, Arturo Blake , Senior Sales Manager of CATL Mexico, during his participation in Future Energy Summit (FES) Mexico, assured that the country is going through a moment similar to that observed during the photovoltaic boom of previous years.
“The spotlight across Latin America is turning towards Mexico. We would all like to steal some of the attention from Brazil, which has recently been the focus of the conversation, in an effort to bring companies back to the country. Many who had left are returning, looking for projects here because the outlook is favorable,” Blake analyzed.
The company's outlook is based not only on projects associated with CFE's mixed-ownership scheme. It also sees new opportunities linked to stand-alone systems, industrial applications, and the growing energy demand from technology sectors.
Beyond CFE: artificial intelligence, power quality and storage
From CATL's perspective, the growth of energy storage in Mexico will not depend solely on government-led tenders or mechanisms. The advancement of high-tech industries is also beginning to generate new business opportunities for batteries.
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According to Blake, automation-intensive and advanced manufacturing sectors face significant economic losses due to problems associated with power quality, including frequency variations, voltage fluctuations, or short-duration outages.
"When we run the financial projections, implementing a storage solution definitely saves them money," the executive stated. In these cases, batteries enable applications such as ultra-fast backup, demand management, energy arbitrage, and power quality stabilization—factors that help protect high-value industrial equipment like robots, machining centers, and automated systems.
To support this growth, CATL has established a strong local support infrastructure in Mexico. The company already has three service centers in the country and aims to respond to any incident in less than 72 hours. This strategy reflects a long-term vision. Blake even projects significant market acceleration over the next few years.
As storage begins to scale in Mexico, the demands of developers, investors, and financial institutions begin to grow.
In that regard, the executive stated: "First they ask for reliability and bankability, that is fundamental because today companies are here and tomorrow they may not be."
In this regard, the executive maintains that the manufacturers' track record and financial capacity will be crucial in supporting projects that will need to operate for decades. He explains that CATL has been the global leader in the energy storage market for eight consecutive years and currently holds approximately 40% of the sector's global market share.
The company also highlights its operational experience on a global scale. "We have more than 2,300 projects installed worldwide with zero incidents," stated Blake, who attributes these results to the quality control, traceability, and technological development systems implemented by the company.
To maintain this leadership, CATL invested approximately $3.2 billion in research and development over the past year and employs more than 24,000 people dedicated to innovation activities, in addition to a portfolio of over 54,000 patents related to various stages of the battery value chain. With this backing, the company seeks to position itself in a market that, according to Blake, is only just beginning to realize its potential.
"I would like us to come here next year and instead of expecting a single digit in gigawatts, it will be two or even three digits," he said.
Meanwhile, the combination of CFE's mixed projects, future calls for bids specifically for storage, and the growing energy demand from digital industries is beginning to shape a scenario that puts Mexico back on the radar of the main global players in the sector.