CANCUN, Q. ROO.- Mexico needs to accelerate the transition towards clean and flexible solutions if it wants to sustain the momentum of nearshoring (relocation of production lines) , according to Diana Vázquez Castañeda, coordinator of Energy and Sustainability at the Mexican Association of Private Industrial Parks (AMPIP) .

During the conference “Building the path for clean & green energy at industrial parks” , within the framework of Huawei ‘s Latin America C&I Greenovation Summit 2025 , Vázquez outlined the energy landscape that will accompany the country’s industrial growth in the coming years, and highlighted the relevance of analyzing the energy issue at a key moment for industrial development.

He recalled that the federal strategy proposed by the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, includes the construction of 100 new industrial parks , a move that will significantly increase the demand for energy in regions that already show signs of saturation.

AMPIP represents industrial real estate developers, an ecosystem that, while not as energy-intensive as steel or cement, is essential to Mexico’s export model. These parks house the manufacturing chain that positions Mexico as the “production hub” for the United States: automotive, metalworking, electronics, logistics, and e-commerce.

Currently, AMPIP has 477 industrial parks distributed across 28 states of the country , 85 million square meters of developed industrial territory and nearly four thousand companies installed, 44% of which are American.

The recent growth of this sector is explained by the pandemic, the rise of e-commerce , global trade conflicts, and the reconfiguration of supply chains. Between 2019 and 2025, net industrial absorption registered a historic increase that has strained the national electricity infrastructure.

According to Vázquez, energy demand will grow at an unprecedented rate . Existing industrial parks alone will require approximately 13,000 megawatts (MW) of additional installed capacity by the end of 2025 to maintain operations and allow for expansion.

That is equivalent, on average, to the installation of one combined cycle plant per year , not counting energy-intensive industries or the accelerated entry of data centers.

The greatest pressure is concentrated in the north of the country, where more than 54% of industrial activity is located , as well as in the Bajío region, which is experiencing strong technological expansion.

“We all know that these are the areas where we need energy the most and where there is the most saturation,” he said.

Today, 90% of the parks are connected to the basic service of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) . However, it is clear that this infrastructure will not grow at the speed required by nearshoring .

Therefore, AMPIP actively promotes alternatives such as qualified user , distributed generation , storage systems and photovoltaic solutions, cogeneration and hybrids .

These options allow for the gradual growth of industrial parks, considering that a new development may start with only 1 MW of demand, but multiply that demand as its supply chain is established. Furthermore, each industrial building may require different levels of electrical quality, continuity, and power.

Therefore, Vázquez explained that the near future demands modular energy mixes , where renewable generation, storage for demand control, and specific solutions for manufacturing processes coexist.

Storage as a key element

Energy storage is one of the elements that has generated the most interest among developers. Its applications range from peak demand control to variable load management and integration with solar power generation systems.

Projects of this type require advanced technology, and for this reason, AMPIP has sought alliances with companies such as Huawei and Enlight , which are part of its sector affiliates and contribute innovation in the design, digitization and operation of energy systems.

Furthermore, with 44% of companies located in the industrial parks being American and the remainder coming from Europe and Asia, these parks face increasing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint. ESG KPIs and corporate decarbonization commitments are forcing them to accelerate the shift towards renewable energy.

“Ensuring a reliable, resilient, and decarbonized supply is essential to maintaining Mexico’s competitiveness,” Vázquez emphasized.

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In 2024, the Valley of Mexico experienced its highest-occurrence year due to ozone concentrations, with 14 during the entire cycle. In 2025, the first such event was recorded last February.

The United Nations Environment Programme reports that the transportation sector has contributed approximately 14% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with land transport being the largest emitter.

Understanding this reality, the project to incorporate electric tractor-trailers into the fleet serving Unilever began months ago , to supply one of its main clients.

The project saw the light of day when it became involved with Grupo Marva ( number 5 in the Top 100 of Autotransporte® ) which, together with its strategic partner, Deléctrica, incorporated the first fleet of electric tractor trucks that will serve Unilever to operate in the Valley of Mexico.

“Nationwide, we already have six charging facilities for electric tractor-trailers; the one closest to Unilever is the one we recently inaugurated,” said Lorena Martínez, general manager of Deléctrica, referring to the charging hub that features Huawei’s FusionCharge chargers with a capacity of up to 600 kW, allowing for the charging of 12 electric vehicles.

It is precisely at this facility, located within a range of just over five kilometers, that will be the charging point for the first five electric units that will serve Unilever at its distribution center.

Based on Unilever’s sustainability objectives, in Scope 1, which is direct emissions from fuel consumption, and Scope 2, which is emissions from purchased energy, the company aims to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) by 100% by 2030, based on 2015 indicators.

Meanwhile, in Scope 3, which refers to indirect emissions from the value chain, the GHG reduction target is set at 30.3% by 2030 based on 2020 levels.

The launch ceremony for this first fleet of electric tractor-trailer trucks with 53-foot dry vans was led by Leonardo Rubinato, Unilever’s Global Vice President of Logistics, Juan Arriegue, Director of Logistics for Unilever Mexico, Juana López, Project Leader for Unilever Mexico, and Wilmer Yepez, Head of Purchasing for Logistics Mexico.

Miguel Ángel Martínez, CEO of Grupo Marva, explained to Unilever executives that Marva continues to expand its charging infrastructure to meet customer demands, thereby expanding its route options for electric trucks. In addition to the facilities in the State of Mexico, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Puebla, and Salamanca, the Morelos region will soon be added.

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