Toward a Low-Carbon Industrial Sector in Mexico

ABSTRACT

This article analyzes the possibility of substantially reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) in the Mexican industrial sector by applying a Low-carbon (LC) scenario, through a period of 25 years, composed by a set of mitigation options that involve the use of energy efficiency, materials recycling, cogeneration and renewable energy. Results reveal that a GHG peak of 226 million tons of equivalent CO₂ could be reached by 2030 with a GHG reduction of 26.5%, compared to a Base scenario, demonstrating that the LC scenario could exceed Mexico’s Nationally Determined Contributions objective of reducing 19% of its industrial sector GHG by 2030. Additionally, GHG reduction of 47% could be achieved by 2035. Finally, the economic viability of the LC scenario was evaluated using a cost-benefit approach. As a result, economic benefits above $24,000 million dollars could be achieved due the energy savings generated are greater than costs to implement the mitigation options.

KEYWORDS:

• Renewable energies
• energy efficiency
• GHG mitigation
• emissions peak
• low-carbon scenario
• Mexican industrial sector

Acknowledgments

We thank Ma. de Jesús Pérez Orozco for the technical support in the simulation of the scenarios in the LEAP Model and in the search and collection of data; to the Project 117808 of SENER-CONACYT - Energy Sustainability Fund and to the Call 291239 SENER-CONACYT Energy Sustainability 2017 through the Doctoral Program grant 001484.

Declaration of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

¹ In this article, the industrial sector includes the Oil & Gas, Iron & Steel, Cement, Chemical, Mining, Metals & Nonmetals, Petrochemicals, Glass, Pulp & Paper, Food, Beverages & Tobacco, Automotive, Construction and Other Industries.

² CO₂ emissions from fuel combustion, electricity consumption and heat processes.

³ The Special Climate Change Program (PECC, by its initials in Spanish), aims to reduce the vulnerability of the population and productive sectors as well as conserve and protect ecosystems and environmental services. As well as increasing the resistance of the strategic infrastructure to the adverse impacts of climate change. The National Program for the Sustainable Use of Energy (PRONASE, by its initials in Spanish), it’s an instrument that establishes a transition strategy, through specific actions, projects and activities, to promote the use of cleaner technologies and fuels.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the SENER-CONACYT - Energy Sustainability Fund [Project 117808]; Call 291239 SENER-CONACYT Energy Sustainability 2017 [Doctoral Program grant 001484].