In a conversation with Energía Estratégica , Rafael Díaz Maciel , CEO of OPSLAG Green Power, a company specializing in the distribution of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Latin America, with a focus on system integration under EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) models, offering turnkey solutions and financing options for industrial and government clients, explains why their technological proposal seeks to fundamentally change the sector's logic. It's worth noting that OPSLAG Green Power is a distributor for XYZ Storage Technology Corp. Ltd., a subsidiary of the Chinese state-owned giant State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), one of the world's largest energy groups and a Fortune Global 500 company. Interview with Rafael Díaz Maciel, CEO of OPSLAG Green Power: You mention that you have a different storage technology—but if you had to explain it simply, what would you say? Look, the simplest explanation is this: our cells are completely immersed in a dielectric fluid.
And that makes ignition impossible. Literally zero? Literally zero. Unlike other technologies where you have to manage the risk with fire suppression systems, thermal monitoring, etc., we directly eliminate the possibility of it happening.
It's not that you control it better.
That simply can't happen. And how does that change the conversation with a client? It changes it completely.
Because today, when you talk to any company, especially industrial ones or data centers, the same concern always comes up: What happens if it fails? Everyone has protocols, security systems, but nobody can guarantee 100%.
We can. Is that an improvement or something else? It's something else.
Storage has historically been designed assuming that risk was part of the system.
We break with that logic. We are not optimizing an existing technology.
We're rethinking how it should work from the design stage. And that's what allows, for example, installing batteries inside buildings? Exactly.
That's one of the big changes.
Today, many technologies cannot be installed within critical facilities precisely because of the risk.
In our case, by eliminating ignition, you can move storage inside plants, buildings, or data centers. Let me get to that point ⬦ Why so much focus on data centers? Because today it probably makes the most sense.
A data center cannot take risks.
And at the same time, it needs constant, reliable, and increasingly efficient energy. So, when a technology emerges that eliminates that risk, it automatically becomes highly relevant. That's its differentiating factor in this segment, right? I'd say that today it's practically the only viable option for installing on-site storage without compromising safety. And what about performance? Because one might think: Okay, it's safer—but does it work the same? It works better.
By keeping the cells in a thermally stable environment, you reduce degradation, maintain efficiency, and extend their lifespan.
So you not only gain in security, but also in performance and business. In business in what sense? In every way.
Longer lifespan, fewer failures, more stability⬦ that improves the profitability of the project and also the confidence to finance it.
It ends up impacting bankability. I'm interested in understanding the context. Why do you think this technology is emerging now? Because the problem is already evident.
Energy is no longer a secondary issue.
Today, it determines whether an industry sets up shop or not, whether it can grow or not. In Mexico, for example, there is no shortage of industrial demand.
There's not enough energy capacity to sustain it. You agree that storage is becoming more of a structural issue . Absolutely.
It ceases to be an add-on and becomes part of the key infrastructure.
We always say: energy is not an expense, it's an asset. Where are we at today? Is this already a reality or still just a promise? It's already a reality.
The technology has just arrived in Mexico. We've already installed a system in Puebla for validation, and now we're starting to talk with the key players. What comes next? Now comes scaling up.
We're going to bring in around 100 units in the first year and start working with distributors to expand. Mexico as a base and then the region? Exactly.
Mexico is at the forefront.
Next we'll go to Central America and later to South America. If you had to prioritize markets, where do you see the most opportunity? Guatemala is one of the main ones.
Panama and the Dominican Republic as well.
But overall, the entire region has potential because the energy problem is structural. When you talk to clients today, what's the first thing they ask for? Two things: savings and security.
Always those two.
And security is where the most doubts arise, because everyone knows it's a critical point. To wrap up, can you tell us more about OPSLAG's history? We started in 2020.
In 2023 we began our relationship with the Chinese government and today we are the only representatives of this technology in Mexico.