For the first time in more than 10 years, Mexico plans to to invite bids for the distribution of natural gas in two zones, a source at the Energy Regulatory Commission said Friday.
Tenders are likely to be announced within a few months, the CRE source said.
The CRE created 20 natural gas distribution zones between 1994 and 2002, but the initiative came to a halt late in 2002 when a tender for the southern Gulf state of Veracruz was declared void because of lack of interest by potential investors.
The new concessions are to be created in western Mexico and the central state of Morelos. The western Mexico concession will cover municipalities around the natural gas pipeline to be built from a new LNG terminal under construction at Manzanillo on the Pacific Ocean to Guadalajara, the nation's second-largest city.
The aim is to create an industrial corridor between Manzanillo and Guadalajara, the source said.
The Morelos distribution zone will be centered on the state's capital, Cuernavaca, some 60 miles from Mexico City. Cuernavaca is a weekend retreat for the inhabitants of Mexico City, but also a growing industrial center that includes a large Nissan auto plant.
