Comprehensive investigation on the geothermal energy sector in México
Abstract
Factors such as fossilisation, diversification of energy resources, sustainable development, and energy security are attracting global attention for the development and expansion of renewable energy sources. Environmental issues arising from fossil fuel consumption are being addressed, but concerns remain about the renewability and availability of new energy sources. Mexico is one of the ten countries in the exploitation of geothermal energy, with a history of approximately five decades. This study examines Mexico's five major geothermal fields: Cerro Prieto, Los Azufres, Los Humeros, Las Tres Vírgenes, and Domo San Pedro. Currently, Mexico is working with international geothermal companies. However, there are more power plants and substantial cooperation to obtain this energy for industry and homes. This study is focused on the potential of geothermal exploitation in Mexico and its position worldwide after the introduction of geothermal energy in Mexico. Next, five geothermal fields are introduced in Mexico, and the potential and capacities of each are discussed. Finally, the future energy scenarios in Mexico are reviewed, with an emphasis on geothermal energy.
References
Akyürek, Z. (2018). Potential of biogas energy from animal waste in the Mediterranean Region of Turkey. Journal of energy systems, 2(4), 160-167. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/576016
Aryanfar, Y. (2020). A Review on the Water Sector in Iran: Current Forecasts, Scenario and Sustainability Issues. Int J Progres Sci Technol, 22, 13-8. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yashar-Aryanfar/publication/350568026_A_Review_on_the_Water_Sector_in_Iran_Current_Forecasts_Scenario_and_Sustainability_Issues/links/606646c1a6fdccad3f664478/A-Review-on-the-Water-Sector-in-Iran-Current-Forecasts-Scenario-and-Sustainability-Issues.pdf.
Assad, M. E. H., Aryanfar, Y., Radman, S., Yousef, B., & Pakatchian, M. (2021). Energy and exergy analyses of single flash geothermal power plant at optimum separator temperature. International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies, 16(3), 873-881. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijlct/ctab014
Billarent-Cedillo, A., Levresse, G., Ferrari, L., Inguaggiato, C., Inguaggiato, S., Hernández-Pérez, E., Hernández-Espriú, A., Corbo Camargo, F., Carrera Hernández, J., & Arias-Paz, A. (2021). Deciphering origins and pathways of low-enthalpy geothermal waters in the unconventional geothermal system of Juchipila graben (Central Mexico). Geothermics, 94, 102076. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2021.102076
Boyd, J. W. L. a. T. L. (2015, 19-25 April 2015). Direct Utilization of Geothermal Energy 2015 Worldwide Review. Proceedings World Geothermal Congress 2015, Melbourne, Australia. https://www.unionegeotermica.it/pdfiles/usi-diretti-energia-geotermica-nel-mondo.pdf
Buscheck, T. A., Bielicki, J. M., & Randolph, J. B. (2017). CO2 earth storage: enhanced geothermal energy and water recovery and energy storage. Energy Procedia, 114, 6870-6879. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187661021731809X/pdf?md5=bf4bdeec6445402f0f836034ef89df93&pid=1-s2.0-S187661021731809X-main.pdf&_valck=1
Calcagno, P., Evanno, G., Trumpy, E., Gutiérrez-Negrín, L. C., Macías, J. L., Carrasco-Núñez, G., & Liotta, D. (2018). Preliminary 3-D geological models of Los Humeros and Acoculco geothermal fields (Mexico) – H2020 GEMex Project. Advances in Geosciences, 45, 321-333. https://doi.org/10.5194/adgeo-45-321-2018
Calcagno, P., Trumpy, E., Gutiérrez-Negrín, L. C., & Liotta, D. (2022). A collection of 3D geomodels of the Los Humeros and Acoculco geothermal systems (Mexico). Scientific Data, 9(1), 280. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01327-0
Carbajal-Martínez, D., Peiffer, L., Hinojosa-Corona, A., Trasviña-Castro, A., Arregui-Ojeda, S. M., Carranza-Chávez, F. J., Flores-Luna, C., Méndez-Alonzo, R., Inguaggiato, C., & Casallas-Moreno, K. L. (2021). UAV-based thermal imaging and heat output estimation of a coastal geothermal resource: La Jolla beach, Baja California, Mexico. Renewable Energy, 168, 1364-1376. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2020.12.113
Chacón-Hernández, F., Zúñiga, F. R., Lermo-Samaniego, J., & Jiménez-Méndez, N. (2021). Analysis of shear wave splitting parameters in los Humeros geothermal field, Puebla, Mexico. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 413, 107210. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2021.107210
de Jesus Fernandez, A., & Watson, J. (2022). Mexico’s renewable energy innovation system: Geothermal and solar photovoltaics case study. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 43, 200-219. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2022.04.004
Diezmartínez, C. V. (2021). Clean energy transition in Mexico: Policy recommendations for the deployment of energy storage technologies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 135, 110407. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110407
El Haj Assad, M., Aryanfar, Y., Javaherian, A., Khosravi, A., Aghaei, K., Hosseinzadeh, S., Pabon, J., & Mahmoudi, S. (2021). Energy, exergy, economic and exergoenvironmental analyses of transcritical CO2 cycle powered by single flash geothermal power plant. International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies, 16(4), 1504-1518. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijlct/ctab076
Energía, S. d. (2018). PRODESEN 2018-2032 (Programa de Desarrollo del Sistema Eléctrico Nacional). Secretaria de Energía, 1. https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/attachment/file/331770/PRODESEN-2018-2032-definitiva.pdf
Espinoza-Ojeda, O. M., Macías, J. L., Gómez-Arias, E., Muñiz-Jauregui, J. A., Rivera-Calderón, E., Figueroa-Soto, A. G., Vázquez-Rosas, R., & Garduño-Monroy, V. H. (2021). A two-dimensional temperature field simulation of the La Primavera geothermal area, México. Geothermics, 96, 102201. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2021.102201
Fan, G., Gao, Y., Ayed, H., Marzouki, R., Aryanfar, Y., Jarad, F., & Guo, P. (2021). Energy and exergy and economic (3E) analysis of a two-stage organic Rankine cycle for single flash geothermal power plant exhaust exergy recovery. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 28, 101554. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2021.101554
Flores-Armenta, M., Ramírez-Montes, M., & Morales-Alcalá, L. (2014). Geothermal activity and development in Mexico–keeping the production going. Proceedings of the Geothermal Training Programme. http://os.is/gogn/unu-gtp-sc/UNU-GTP-SC-18-03.pdf
Flores-Espino, F., Booth, S., & Graves, A. (2017). Mexico's Geothermal Market Assessment Report (No. NREL/TP-6A20-63722). National Renewable Energy Lab.(NREL), Golden, CO (United States). https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1349719
Goldstein, B., Hiriart, G., Bertani, R., Bromley, C., Gutiérrez-Negrín, L., Huenges, E., ... & Wratt, D. (2011). Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation: Geothermal Energy. https://doi.org/DOI: 10.1017/CBO9781139151153.008
González-Acevedo, Z. I., García-Zarate, M. A., Núñez-Zarco, E. A., & Anda-Martín, B. I. (2018). Heavy metal sources and anthropogenic enrichment in the environment around the Cerro Prieto Geothermal Field, Mexico. Geothermics, 72, 170-181. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2017.11.004
Gutiérrez-Negrín, L. C. (2012). Update of the geothermal electric potential in Mexico. Geothermal Resources Council Transactions, 36, 677. https://publications.mygeoenergynow.org/grc/1030299.pdf
Gutiérrez-Negrín, L. C. A. (2019). Current status of geothermal-electric production in Mexico. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 249, No. 1, p. 012017). IOP Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/249/1/012017
Hernández-Morales, P., Wurl, J., Green-Ruiz, C., & Morata, D. (2021). Hydrogeochemical Characterization as a Tool to Recognize “Masked Geothermal Waters” in Bahía Concepción, Mexico. Resources, 10(3), 23. https://doi.org/10.3390/resources10030023
Hernández, M. A. H., Pinti, D. L., Castro, M. C., López-Hernández, A., Shouakar-Stash, O., Richard, L., ... & Sánchez-Cornejo, C. (2019). Origin of fluids in Las Tres Vírgenes Geothermal Field. In E3S Web of Conferences (Vol. 98, p. 12006). EDP Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20199812006
Hiriart, G., & Gutiérrez-Negrı́n, L. C. A. (2003). Main aspects of geothermal energy in Mexico. Geothermics, 32(4), 389-396. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2003.07.005.
Jentsch, A., Duesing, W., Jolie, E., & Zimmer, M. (2021). Monitoring the response of volcanic CO2 emissions to changes in the Los Humeros hydrothermal system. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 17972.. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-97023-x
Gutiérrez-Negrín, L. C., Canchola Félix, I., Romo-Jones, J. M., & Quijano-León, J. L. (2020). Geothermal energy in Mexico: update and perspectives. In Proceedings world geothermal congress (Vol. 466, pp. 1-13).
Martínez, A.I.M. (2013). Case history of Los Azufres conceptual modelling in a mexican geothermal field. Geotermia, Revista Mexicana de Geoenergía. Volume 26(Issue 2), Pages 3-16. https://www.academia.edu/download/32304645/Geotermia-Vol26-2.pdf#page=6
Mines, G., Nathwani, J., Richard, C., Hanson, H., & Wood, R. (2015). Geothermal plant capacity factors (No. INL/CON-14-33550). Idaho National Lab.(INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States). https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1178377.
Peiffer, L., Carrasco-Núñez, G., Mazot, A., Villanueva-Estrada, R. E., Inguaggiato, C., Romero, R. B., ... & Rojas, J. H. (2018). Soil degassing at the Los Humeros geothermal field (Mexico). Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 356, 163-174. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2018.03.001
Pérez-Denicia, E., Fernández-Luqueño, F., Vilariño-Ayala, D., Manuel Montaño-Zetina, L., & Alfonso Maldonado-López, L. (2017). Renewable energy sources for electricity generation in Mexico: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 78, 597-613. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.05.009
Pinti, D. L., Castro, M. C., López-Hernández, A., Hernández, M. A. H., Richard, L., Hall, C. M., ... & Rodríguez-Rodríguez, M. H. (2019). Cerro Prieto geothermal field (Baja California, Mexico)–a fossil system? Insights from a noble gas study. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 371, 32-45. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2018.12.010
Pishkariahmadabad, M., Ayed, H., Xia, W. F., Aryanfar, Y., Almutlaq, A. M., & Bouallegue, B. (2021). Case Studies in Thermal Engineering. Elsevier, 22(14), 45-57.https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2021.101330
Prol-Ledesma, R. M., & Morán-Zenteno, D. J. (2019). Heat flow and geothermal provinces in Mexico. Geothermics, 78, 183-200. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2018.12.009
Quijano-León, J. L., & Gutiérrez-Negrín, L. C. (2003). An unfinished journey: 30 years of geothermal-electric generation in mexico. Geothermal Resources Council Bulletin, 32(5), 198-205. https://publications.mygeoenergynow.org/grc/7004529.pdf
Ramírez-Camperos, A. M., Rodríguez-Padilla, V., & Guido-Aldana, P. A. (2013). The Mexican electricity sector: Policy analysis and reform (1992–2009). Energy Policy, 62, 1092-1103. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2013.06.063
Richter, A. (2019). The Top 10 Geothermal Countries 2018 – based on installed generation capacity (MWe). https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/the-top-10-geothermal-countries-2018-based-on-installed-generation-capacity-mwe/
Rodriguez,E., Ocampo, F., Reyes, V., Ávalos, D., & García, J. (2019, July). Preliminary Geochemical Model of the Domo San Pedro Geothermal Field in San Pedro Lagunillas, Mexico PROCEEDINGS, 44th Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, Stanford. https://pangea.stanford.edu/ERE/db/GeoConf/papers/SGW/2019/Rodriguez.pdf
Santos-Herrero, J. M., Lopez-Guede, J. M., & Flores, I. (2017). A Short review on the use of renewable energies and model predictive control in buildings. Journal of energy systems, 1(3), 112-119. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/381648.
Sanyal, S. K., & Butler, S. J. (2010). Geothermal power capacity from petroleum wells–some case histories of assessment. Proceedings world geothermal congress (Vol. 2010). http://repository.usgin.org/sites/default/files/dlio/files/2011/u19/geothermal_power_capacity_from_petroleum_wells_u_some_case_histories_of_assessment_-_sanyal_et_al_wgc_2010.pdf
Sena-Lozoya, E. B., González-Escobar, M., Gómez-Arias, E., González-Fernández, A., & Gómez-Ávila, M. (2020). Seismic exploration survey northeast of the Tres Virgenes Geothermal Field, Baja California Sur, Mexico: A new Geothermal prospect. Geothermics, 84, 101743. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2019.101743
Sharma, A., Singh, H., VİRAL, R., & ANWER, N. (2021). Renewable energy development in rural areas of Uttar Pradesh: Current status, technologies and CO2 mitigation analysis. Journal of energy systems, 5(2), 92-120. https://doi.org/10.30521/jes.816049
Stefansson, V. (2005, 24-29 April 2005). World Geothermal Assessment Proceedings World Geothermal Congress 2005, Antalya, Turkey. http://www.os.is/gogn/Greinargerdir/Jardhitavettvangur/World-geothermal-assessment-VS.pdf
Torres-Rodríguez, M. A., Mendoza-Covarrubias, A., & Medina-Martínez, M. (2005). An update of the Los Azufres geothermal field, after 21 years of exploitation. Proc. World Geother. Congr., Antalya, Turkey, 1-6. https://www.geothermal-energy.org/pdf/IGAstandard/WGC/2005/0916.pdf
Uğurlu, A., & Gokcol, C. (2017). An overview of Turkey's renewable energy trend. Journal of energy systems, 1(4), 148-158. https://doi.org/10.30521/jes.361920
Wen, T., Pinti, D. L., Castro, M. C., López-Hernández, A., Hall, C. M., Shouakar-Stash, O., & Sandoval-Medina, F. (2018). A noble gas and 87Sr/86Sr study in fluids of the Los Azufres geothermal field, Mexico – Assessing impact of exploitation and constraining heat sources. Chemical Geology, 483, 426-441. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2018.03.010
Downloads
Copyright (c) 2023 CT&F - Ciencia, Tecnología y Futuro
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
