At Iberdrola México we make sure that each project responds to our industry’s needs, so we are always looking for new methods and tools that will allow to go beyond where we have got to and reap new successes.
By Pablo Mañó, Project Director.
The energy sector always requires innovations. But what is innovation? Defining it is a complex task, because we usually relate it to what is new, what we have never seen before. It sounds complex to produce something that has not been yet discovered. In my opinion, however, innovating does not mean to create something that is not known, but to implement or look for solutions other than what is traditionally done in a given situation to adapt to new times and their needs.
As the person responsible for the organization of projects under construction, I have witnessed and participated in the introduction of new management tools and methods that have allowed us to position ourselves as industry benchmarks. Examples of these applications are gas turbines installed at the thermal generation plants that we have recently put into operation: Escobedo, Topolobampo II, and El Carmen. These turbines are peculiar for their increased efficiency and higher performance compared to those installed in previous projects.
Additionally, we will install a new version of these turbines that will deliver even higher performance at the Tamazunchale power plant.
Innovation and introduction of new technologies in Iberdrola México’s projects is an accelerated process. Since we began operations in the country more than 20 years ago, we have succeeded in quickly adapting to the industry’s trends. It should be noted that innovation is not only delivered with technological processes, but also with new forms of management.
Besides being one of the first plants where we installed this type of turbines, El Carmen was our first plant to start marketing the energy that we generate in the Wholesale Electric Market, turning into one of the most challenging projects in my professional career, because much time and effort had to be spent to know and adapt the facilities to the new regulatory requirements.
Certainly, when we set goals we must consider that innovation involves a risk, either at the time new technologies are introduced or when we face methodological changes; the risk is real and it must be our benchmark for setting the changes that we think can help us.
What will the future bring us and how can we continue innovating from Iberdrola México? It is not possible to predict what will happen next, but I believe we must not stop and think there is nothing else to do. Thanks to renewable energies, which at the time were seen as a great innovation in the industry, today we are positioned as market leaders, but there is more to do when we look for alternative energy sources. Personally, I believe that the green hydrogen business is an important option that can gain great significance in Mexico and around the world in the future, and perhaps we will also stand out in that activity.
I am Pablo Mañó, and I am Iberdrola People.
