Cimarron Wind Farm is a 320MW renewable energy project currently under construction in the Mexican state of Baja California.
The project is spearheaded by Sempra Infrastructure, part of Sempra, a US-based public utility company, and represents an investment of $550m.
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The project obtained its Environmental Impact Authorization (EIA) from Mexico’s Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT) in July 2023.
The final investment decision was reached in March 2024, leading to the commencement of construction in July 2024. The wind farm is scheduled to commence operations by the end of 2025.
The facility is projected to yield around 1 gigawatt hour of clean energy annually, which will be supplied to more than 84,000 homes in Santa Clara, California, US. The project will reduce CO₂ emissions by 200,000 tonnes annually.
The construction phase of the wind farm is anticipated to generate more than 2,000 direct and indirect job opportunities, along with further investments in the local community.
Location
The Cimarron Wind Farm is situated in La Rumorosa and the municipality of Tecate within the Sierra de Juarez mountain range. It is an extension of the existing Energía Sierra Juarez (ESJ) wind complex, which currently has a capacity of 263MW.
The new wind farm is set to occupy approximately 2,558 acres (1,035 hectares) of land.
The electricity from the ESJ complex is sold through long-term power purchase agreements with San Diego Gas & Electric. Upon completion, the Cimarron Wind Farm will elevate the total capacity of the ESJ wind complex to 582MW.
Cimarron Wind Farm details
The Cimarron Wind Farm will feature 64 wind turbine units, a step-up substation, overhead collector lines, a transmission line, meteorological towers, internal roads, operational offices and areas for both temporary and permanent operations.
The wind turbine units will include 46 units of V163-4.5MW turbines and 18 units of V162-6.2MW turbines from Vestas, a Denmark-based wind turbine manufacturer.
The V163-4.5MW turbines have a rotor diameter of 163m (534.7ft) and a swept area of 20,867m² (224,610.5ft²), with hub heights varying between 98m and 113m.
The turbine blades measure 80.1m in length and are designed to generate power at wind speeds as low as 3m/s, ceasing operation at 24m/s.
The V162-6.2MW turbines have a rotor diameter of 162m and a swept area of 20,612m², with hub heights ranging between 119m and 169m.
Cimarron Wind Farm transmission details
The wind farm will connect to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) system using Sempra’s existing cross-border, high-voltage transmission line that interconnects the ESJ wind complex.
The Cimarron transmission line will share a 0.9-mile (1.4km) portion of the existing ESJ Tie Line from the US border, south into Mexico.
A new 19.4-mile (31.2km) gen-tie line will then connect to a new substation at the wind farm site.
Power purchase agreement
Sempra secured a 20-year power purchase agreement in October 2022 with Silicon Valley Power, a municipal electric utility in the city of Santa Clara, California.
Contractors involved
Vestas was contracted to supply the wind turbines for the project, including a ten-year service agreement (AOM 5000) aimed at optimising power generation and ensuring long-term operational stability for the wind farm. Delivery of the wind turbines is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2024.
Sempra entered into a fixed-price contract with Elecnor, a construction engineering company based in Spain, for the engineering, supply and construction services for the project.
