Assessing the impact of energy storage technologies in Mexico

University of Birmingham experts are working with partners in Mexico to find a way of meeting the country’s ambitious clean energy targets.

Mexico’s energy system is in a state of transition and with an ambitious target to generate 50% of its electricity from ‘clean’ sources by 2050, the need for sustainable energy storage solutions will only increase.

The University’s Energy Systems and Policy Analysis Group (ESPAG) is working with the Instituto de Electricidad y Energías Límpias (INEEL) on a Newton Institutional Links project that will investigate ways that energy is used in different communities across Mexico.

Funded by the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy the ‘Energy storage prioritisation in Mexico‘ project will assess the potential impact that using energy storage technologies could have on issues of health, social and economic development.

Using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), the researchers will create a list of possible energy storage options for the selected case study area. By producing two documents that cover the technical aspects and the policy and regulatory recommendations respectively, it is hoped that this process can be repeated in other areas in the future.

During the project kick-off meeting, Dr Jonathan Radcliffe delivered an overview of policy and innovation in energy storage from a UK perspective whilst David Castrejón Botello, Thermal Engineering Project Manager at INEEL gave an informative overview of the Mexican energy system.

José María Malo Tamayo from INEEL then went on to note that the capacity for more renewable energy in Mexico is very high, with initial estimates of 16GW of solar energy potential and 19GW of wind potential that could be integrated into the energy system.

Going forward, INEEL will focus on reviewing the potential areas for a case study. The team at the University of Birmingham will identify a multi-disciplinary group of stakeholders that have an interest in this area of research.

The next project meeting is expected to take place in Mexico this summer.

Presentations from the project kick-start meeting are available here:

• David Castrejón Botello – Mexico’s energy system [PDF]
• José María Malo Tamayo – Energy storage in Mexico: storage challenges and opportunities [PDF]
• Dr Jonathan Radcliffe – Energy storage: technology and policy innovation [PDF]

For further information about this project, please contact Dr Jonathan Radcliffe.

ENDS 

Notes for Editors:

The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions, its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 6,500 international students from over 150 countries.

This work was supported by an Institutional Links grant, ID 332240317. The grant is funded by the UK Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and delivered by the British Council. For further information, please visit www.newtonfund.ac.uk.

The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with 17 partner countries to support their economic development and social welfare, and to develop their research and innovation capacity for long-term sustainable growth. It has a total UK Government investment of £735 million up until 2021, with matched resources from the partner countries. The Newton Fund is managed by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and delivered through 15 UK delivery partners, which includes UK Research and Innovation, the UK Academies, the British Council, Innovate UK and the Met Office.

For further information

Karen Dehal, University of Birmingham, tel 0121 414 7031, email: k.dehal@bham.ac.uk