Over the next decade, Mexico could attract as much as $22 billion in green hydrogen-related investment across 28 projects currently in various planning stages—some already scheduled to begin operations by 2028—that could generate between 211,000 and 975,000 tons of clean hydrogen per year.

To put it into perspective: that energy would be enough to power the average annual consumption of five million urban Mexican households¹. If used to replace industrial fossil fuels, it could prevent the emission of up to 10 million tons of CO₂ per year, equivalent to taking 2.2 million cars off the road.

Green hydrogen is produced by splitting water molecules through electrolysis using solar, wind, or geothermal power. It can replace natural gas, diesel, or coal in industrial processes currently responsible for a large share of global emissions. Today, it is being used in pilot plants to manufacture steel, power heavy trucks, and run industrial boilers, without emitting carbon dioxide.

Though the technology is still emerging, major bets are already being placed. Firms like Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Pacífico Mexinol, Tango Solar, and Energía Los Cabos plan to invest over $12.7 billion in projects primarily located in Oaxaca, Sinaloa, and Baja California Sur. According to estimates by the Mexican Hydrogen Association (AMH2), cumulative investment could reach $60 billion by 2050 if current momentum continues.

That figure would not only position Mexico as a regional leader in this emerging sector—it already puts the country ahead of the United States, which has $8 billion in announced investment.

The projects are not limited to a single state or region; they're distributed across at least 13 states—including those in the northwest, Bajío, Isthmus, and Yucatán Peninsula—representing a pathway to reindustrialization in territories historically excluded from major value chains.

While there are no official national figures on required surface area, benchmarks from Japan, the U.S., and Australia provide clues. Pilot or small-scale facilities typically need between 15,000 and 50,000 square meters; mid-sized plants require between 50,000 and 150,000; and large-scale industrial operations can exceed 400,000 square meters².

This is due to the complexity of the process: each facility needs large-scale electrolyzers, storage and compression systems, water treatment, substations, export infrastructure—such as port terminals or refueling stations—and in many cases, their own renewable energy sources.

What is the challenge for Mexico?

Producing one ton of green hydrogen can require up to 60 MWh of clean electricity, drastically increasing land and energy needs. If all 28 announced projects in Mexico reach their maximum potential, they would require over 58,000 GWh annually—equivalent to 65% of the country's total clean energy generation³. For this reason, many of these developments are designed as full energy ecosystems, and often convert hydrogen into derivatives like ammonia or green methanol, which are denser, easier to transport, and have higher market value.

This also presents an industrial challenge: in early stages, many plants will launch as pilots of 10 to 30 MW, typically requiring 20,000 to 50,000 square meters. But as they scale to 100 MW or more—as some projects already plan—the required land per plant could exceed 100,000 square meters, especially if they integrate their own renewable energy generation. In that scenario, full deployment would demand between 1.4 and 2.8 million square meters of new specialized industrial infrastructure—representing a 3% increase in the national industrial inventory, which currently surpasses 100 million square meters of gross leasable area, according to SiiLA.

Is Mexico ready to build the infrastructure this energy revolution demands? To find out, explore SiiLA Market Analytics' data or contact us at contacto@siila.com.mx.

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¹ Estimate based on the lower heating value (LHV) of hydrogen, equal to 33.33 MWh per ton. Under the high-production scenario (975,000 tons/year), this would generate approximately 32.5 TWh annually. According to Mexico's Energy Secretariat (SENER), the average electricity consumption per person is 2,329 kWh/year. That energy could supply 13.9 million people, or 4.6 million urban households (assuming three people per household). This calculation is illustrative and assumes ideal conversion and use efficiency.

² Based on project data from Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field, Advanced Clean Energy Storage, and Asian Renewable Energy Hub, with reported areas between 15,000 and over 400,000 m².

³ Estimated within the ranges reported by IRENA (48–55 MWh/ton) and the Hydrogen Council (50–60 MWh/ton). The 58,500 GWh figure is based on the upper-bound production potential of 975,000 tons annually for Mexico's 28 announced projects. National clean energy generation is based on the average between 2019 and 2022 (89,689.8 GWh/year), according to the Annual Clean Energy Report (RAEL) from Mexico's Energy Secretariat (SENER).