Awarding projects is no longer the main challenge for the Mexican market. With more than 3.3 GW of renewables and 1.2 GW of storage already allocated in the first priority call for bids, another 37 projects selected under the mixed scheme with the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) , and new calls underway, the focus now shifts to executing developments within increasingly demanding deadlines.
In that scenario, Enertis and Barlovento Applus+ claim to have participated in 9.5 GW of renewable power and 8.4 GWh of storage , in addition to intervening in 12 of the 18 projects awarded during the first private tender, equivalent to 70% of the winning initiatives .
"In the first tender in December 2025, we reached a 70% project collaboration rate. That is to say, of the 18 projects awarded, we collaborated at some point in the value chain on 12 of them," stated César Triana Murcia , regional leader for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean at Enertis and Barlovento Applus+ , in an exclusive interview at the Future Energy Summit (FES) .
Watch the full interview: https://youtu.be/B9WrGnHbzXw
"We no longer approach it solely from an engineering perspective; what the market demands is speed of response, agility, versatility, and a deep understanding of the regulatory framework and the market," he added.
Currently, Mexico has the largest renewable energy activity in Latin America. In addition to its portfolio of over 4.5 GW of renewable energy projects and storage systems under development, the country is also launching the Second Call for Priority Processing of Generation and Interconnection Permit Applications , the schedule for which has been modified for the third time.
According to the current schedule, applications can be submitted between July 16 and August 18 , while the publication of results is scheduled for September 12 , allowing more time to complete technical, regulatory and interconnection requirements.
During the first stage of the calls, the participation of Enertis and Barlovento Applus+ was concentrated on basic and conceptual engineering , preparation of terms of reference for tenders, specification of main equipment, analysis for financing processes and purchase and sale of assets.
"We have been working on basic and conceptual engineering, and developing terms of reference for tenders. We are talking about main equipment, solar modules, inverters, wind turbines, EPC contractors, and obviously the framework of technical due diligence, both for financing and purchase," Triana explained.
The executive adds that one of the objectives was to anticipate the bankability of the projects. In wind energy, this included the installation of measuring towers and LIDAR systems, while in solar energy, the company conducts testing campaigns with the only mobile laboratory available in Mexico for this type of evaluation.
What does the next stage look like?
With the projects already underway, the work evolves towards detailed engineering , directly linked to construction, without neglecting technical due diligence to ensure the financial closure of the investments.
" If before we were talking about basic, conceptual engineering, now we are talking about more detailed engineering, directly related to construction ," Triana points out.
This change coincides with another transformation that the Mexican market is undergoing: the mandatory incorporation of storage systems equivalent to 30% of the installed capacity of the new power plants , with a minimum duration of three hours.
"The design of the battery storage system is no longer so much about technology, but the focus has to be on designing the storage system to comply with the system, to contribute to the national electricity system," the specialist indicated.
Furthermore, the executive explained that the new tenders demand additional functions such as ramp control, temporary energy displacement and frequency regulation , so the challenge is to design assets capable of maintaining that performance throughout the project's useful life.
"The question shouldn't be about what services the BESS will provide, but rather how I can design the BESS system so that it can operate for 15-20 years while meeting all those parameters," he says.
The estimated dates for entry into commercial operation, planned between 2027 and 2030 , also require incorporating degradation and augmentation strategies now to maintain battery performance for two decades.
"Currently, what the Mexican market is asking for is not so much the design of a storage project, but rather designing the value that this system can have in the national electricity market," Triana concluded.