Cimarron Wind Project, Mexico

The Cimarron Wind Project is the third phase of the Energía Sierra Juarez (ESJ) Wind Complex being developed in Mexico.

The Energía Sierra Juarez (ESJ) Wind Complex is the first Cross-border wind power project between Mexico and the USA. The complex will be one of the largest commercial wind projects in Mexico with a total installed capacity of more than 580MW.

Cimarron is owned and will be developed by Sempra Infrastructure, a subsidiary of Sempra. Sempra Infrastructure reached the Final Investment Decision (FID) of the project in March 2024.

The construction of the project commenced in July 2024 and is expected to create more than 2,000 direct and indirect jobs and local community investment under the framework of Sempra Infrastructure for corporate giving.

The wind project is expected to start electricity generation in late 2025. Once operational, the project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 210,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) each year.

The project will produce enough power equal to the energy consumption of more than 84,000 homes.

Cimarron Project Location

The Cimarron Wind Project will be developed in La Rumorosa and the municipality of Tecate in the state of Baja California, Mexico.

Cimarron Wind Project Details

The Cimarron Wind Project will consist of wind turbines, roads, a medium-voltage network, a power line, a step-up substation, and a high-voltage transmission line.

The project will have a total production capacity of approximately 320MW and will be built with a total capital expenditure estimated at $550m.

A total of 64 wind turbines will be installed for the project. Of the 64 wind turbines, 46 will be V163-4.5MW wind turbines and 18 will be V162-6.2MW wind turbines.

The V163-4.5MW wind turbines have a rated power of 4,500KW and hub heights of 98m International Electrotechnical Commission S (IEC S), 113m (IEC S) and 126m (IEC S).

The wind turbines have a rotor diameter of 163m, 80.1m long blades and 12.96*3.98*3.5m (length*width*height) nacelles. The dimensions of the hubs are 5.5*4*3.5m (maximum length*width*height).

The V162-6.2MW wind turbines have a rated power of 6,200KW and hub heights of 119m (IEC S/DIBt S), 125m (IEC S), 149m (IEC S), 166m (IEC S/DIBt S) and 169m Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik S (DIBt S) with a rotor diameter of 162m.

Besides turbines, a total of 70km of roads and a 45km medium voltage network will form a part of the infrastructure of the wind project.

A 30km long power line will connect the step-up substation to the grid and will have a voltage of 230kV.

Additionally, the wind project will use the existing cross-border high-voltage transmission line of Sempra Infrastructure.

The high-voltage transmission line interconnects the ESJ Wind Complex directly into the California Independent System Operator System.

Cimarron Wind Contractors

Sempra Infrastructure has selected Elecnor Mexico, a part of the Elecnor Group, and awarded a contract for the engineering, supply, and construction (EPC) of the Cimarron Wind Project in July 2024.

In March 2024, Sempra Infrastructure placed a 319MW order to Vestas for the Cimarron Wind Project.

The scope of the contract includes the supply and installation of 46 V163-4.5MW wind turbines and 18 V162-6.2MW wind turbines.

A 10-year service agreement will be signed between Sempra Infrastructure and Vestas to optimise the production of energy and provide long-term business case certainty for the operations of the wind project.

The service agreement will be signed by Vestas after the completion of the contract. The supply of wind turbines is planned by Vestas for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024.

Cimarron Power Purchase Agreement

A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) was signed between Sempra Infrastructure and Silicon Valley Power (SVP) in October 2022 for the Cimarron Wind Project.

It is a 20-year PPA to supply renewable electricity to the City of Santa Clara, California, USA for the long term.

Silicon Valley Power is a trademark used by the not-for-profit electric municipal utility of Santa Clara.