Council Approves Mini Hydroelectric Plant Despite Doubts

by Maureen Dietrich
25 Feb 15
mazmessenger.com
 

A major concern during the extraordinary cabinet meeting was the response of Presa Picachos community members.

With a majority vote yesterday, Mazatlán’s municipal council gave the green light to the proposal by the company Desarrollos Residenciales Monte Real A.S. de C.V. to build a mini hydroelectric plant to take advantage of water from the Picachos dam which presently flows into the Pacific Ocean.
The vote of approval allows the company to begin the permit process to purchase land for the 15 megawatts plant that will save the municipality 13.1 percent in energy costs, representing 14 million pesos annually.

The approval, however, was granted despite objections and doubts voiced by some council members who did not raise their hands when the proposal was put to vote.

Among concerns raised by dissenting council members was the question of the response by the Presa Picacho community who own the land where the mini plant would be constructed, the environmental effects, the origin of the company Desarrollos Residenciales which was formed in March, 2014 in Torreón, Coahuilla and the benefits for the municipality.

Councilwoman Esperanza Kazuga Osaka questioned whether the company itself would construct the mini hydroelectric dam and on asking the direct question was advised the company would only finance the project and hire another company to construct the plant. When she requested the name of the construction company and information about its past projects, Kazuga Osaka stated she was simply told it was a company from Veracruz.

The other major concern during the extraordinary cabinet meeting was the response of Presa Picachos community members who for years have been fighting the State and Federal governments for payment for lands expropriated for the Pichachos dam.

Municipal Secretary, María del Rosario Torres Noriega, said they have provided the residents with information about the project. As the community still expressed doubts and uncertainty they have promised to meet with them once more to clear up their concerns.

(from Noroeste)

Jumapam Enforces Law Against Delinquent Accounts

by Maureen Dietrich

6 Jan 15 

mazmessenger.com

Of Jumpam’s 156,000 clients, 48,000 are in arrears.

To enable the municipal government to pay for planned drain pipe repairs this year, Jumapam General Manager Rigoberto Félix Díaz said it is necessary for the water department to be more aggressive in collecting delinquent accounts.

During 2015 Jumapam will apply the strict letter of the law to those who have not paid their water bill, including economic embargos against those who have not paid for many years. The application of the law, said Félix Díaz, is to force people to pay or negotiate.

With respect to clandestine users of municipal water, the law will also be applied in that those discovered stealing water will be charged with theft.

Of Jumpam´s 156,000 clients, 48,000 are in arrears. Of those 48,000, 10,000 are considered severely delinquent having not paid for years.

The Jumapam General Manager justified applying the law saying water users who pay on time end up also paying for the consequences of those who do not pay.

In an ongoing door to door census to determine who are Jumapam clients, of the 20 percent of users personnel has visited they discovered 10 percent are obtaining water service without an installed meter or contract. As well, some clients registered as residential are in fact businesses.

The census is taking place in both urban and rural areas and, said the General Manager, is expected to terminate not later than February 15 this year. (from Noroeste)

Pemex to Build $6 Billion Gas Liquefaction Plant

by Murry Page

7 Nov 14  

mazmessenger.com

 

Alejandro Martinez Sibaja, head of Pemex’s gas and basic petrochemicals unit, told energy sector investors, operators and developers in Houston on Wednesday that Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) plans to build a gas liquefaction plant on the Pacific coast, a project that will require an investment outlay of $6 billion and be the country’s first.

Martinez Sibaja said the facility is the second phase of the Transoceanic Belt project that will link the Pajaritos port complex in the state of Veracruz with the Salina Cruz refinery in the state of Oaxaca.

He said that Pemex’s goal is to transport natural gas from the Gulf of México over the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to the liquefaction facility for processing and export to Asia and Oceania.

The technical, financial and infrastructure studies will be carried out starting this month to determine the ideal location for the plant, to be built near Salina Cruz, Pemex said in a statement, adding that operations are expected to begin in 2020.

Martinez Sibaja told the attendees that Pemex is looking for strategic partners for both the operations and financing of the gas liquefaction plant.

(from Latin American Herald Tribune)