Mexican ferroalloys and manganese producer Minera Autlan expects to invest between $150 million and $200 million in energy projects, as a way to produce its own energy and sell the exceeding capacity to third parties, according to several media reports.
A media report by Notimex said the company plans to build two power plants. Currently, the company has a hydropower plant named Atexcaco that supplies about 25-30 percent of its energy needs, but as the manganese producer advances with new projects it could reduce energy costs and then sell the exceeding power to third parties.
SteelOrbis reported in late 2015 that Minera Autlan expected to increase its capacity to generate electricity through its Atexcaco hydroelectric plant, as well as by the generation of other hydroelectric and wind power plants. At the time, the company said it expected to supply most of its power needs by the generation of electricity through these different sources.
Minera Autlan said the two new projects, a wind and a hydro power plant, would be built in the southern and northern parts of the country.
Talking to Notimex, a company executive said the investments would depend on the size of the plants, since the wind power plant could increase its capacity gradually from 50 up to 300 megawatts, for example.