The Stipa Nayaá wind farm: using sustainable energy to boost the local economy and environment

The State of Oaxaca, in the southeastern region of the Mexican Pacific Ocean, currently produces 62 per cent of the wind energy generated in the country, with 28 parks in operation and 2,756 megawatts MW of installed capacity. Indeed, its wind resources are among the best in the world, since its topography creates a natural wind tunnel for the currents that flow between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. And that explains why Enel Green Power chose this region, specifically in the Tehuantepec isthmus, for the construction of the 74MW Stipa Nayaá wind farm. Thanks to the outstanding wind conditions, EGP’s wind plant has a load factor of around 40%, the equivalent of approximately 250 million kWh of clean energy. Power generation from the plant prevents the annual emission of around 150 thousand tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. In line with Enel’s “Creating Shared Value” (CSV) model, which aims to combine business development and the needs of local communities, the company implemented its Sustainable Construction Site approach for this project, incorporating a culture of rational use of resources, involving water-saving systems and waste recycling, as well as initiatives in support of local communities. Operational efficiency In Mexico EGP operates six wind power plants with a total installed capacity of 675 MW. The Operation & Maintenance team is constantly looking for ways to ensure the maximum availability of these plants for energy generation. One of the most effective innovations was implemented by O&M in Stipa Nayaá, and it involves a new method for oil recirculation in the wind turbines. The previous process required manual labor that took between eight and nine hours. Today, thanks to the use of a tanker truck, it takes about four hours. The tanker truck carries 1,500 liters of oil, of which 500 are used for flushing or internal cleaning of the turbine. The remaining 1,000 liters are used for replacing the oil already used, through a hose that transports the oil to the nacelle, in compliance with EGP’s quality and safety protocols. Of the many benefits of this new method, one of the most important is the minimization of risks of environmental incidents occurring, reducing the possibility of contamination events of flora and fauna. The amount of waste produced and the useful life of this new oil increases from five to ten years. Social projects for the Community The quality of life has certainly improved since the wind farm was built and started operations. At Stipa Nayaá, EGP reduces the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), seeking to contribute to the reduction of global warming while producing benefits for the local environment. It also helps to maintain an ecological balance by allowing sheep farmers who live nearby to use the land where the plant is installed. Furthermore, material was donated to improve the infrastructure for agricultural activities in the community, while irrigation canals were cemented to reduce water loss through seepage. The plant also provides jobs directly and indirectly in the community, thereby contributing to the economic development of society and improving the quality of life, especially in this region, which has a very high unemployment rate. In particular, 18 employees were hired from the local community: two for Substation 2 and 16 for Operation & Maintenance. Stipa has also supported education and training, in particular through the Didactic Nacelle, a project involving the transformation of a disused nacelle into a mobile Wind Tech training point that can be reached by students hoping to become engineers in renewable energy all over Mexico. The nacelle was entirely restored: the carcass was cleaned, painted and some of the main components were replaced in collaboration with providers and partners who helped give a second life to obsolete equipment (gearboxes, transformers, generators, etc.). This is a circular economy project implemented by the O&M Team who managed to turn a very critical event – the nacelle was burnt in a fire – into an opportunity, providing a new use for this part of the turbine, which would have otherwise become waste. Biodiversity Oaxaca is the state with the greatest biodiversity in the Mexican Republic, while the Tehuantepec Isthmus is one of the busiest migratory bird corridors in the world. It is therefore very important to prevent birds from colliding with the turbines. To this end, Stipa has taken action by regularly monitoring migratory birds by means of radars to predict their arrival. Not only that, acoustic determent is used for birds and bats. Continuous high-frequency sounds are emitted: this confuses echolocation, to the point that they avoid the area. Bird migration also tends to follow seasonal patterns, giving Stipa managers a chance to shut down their turbines before the largest flocks try to fly through. Other measures include painting one blade of a turbine black or purple, thereby allowing birds to notice and avoid turbines sooner. In Mexico’s Tehuantepec Isthmus, as in so many other areas of the world, EGP is applying, through its Sustainable Plant model, a development strategy that constantly implements sustainable actions and practices. The activities that are based on this model are the outcome of a constant dialogue with interested parties, and integrated with careful studies of the social and economic context, resulting in effective measures that comply with the needs of local stakeholders. This is how we create energy that is not only renewable, but, above all, sustainable.

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The Stipa Nayaá wind farm: using sustainable energy to boost the local economy and environment

The Stipa Nayaá wind farm: using sustainable energy to boost the local economy and environment

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