Mexico has only approximately 2.4 days of natural gas storage, making it vulnerable to potential political pressures from President Donald Trump, according to specialists consulted by El Financiero. The United States has become the largest natural gas supplier in the world, increasing its production capacity by 60 percent during the first half of Trump's term, according to estimates from BloombergNEF.
By the end of the decade, it is expected that nearly one in three tankers transporting liquefied natural gas will originate from the United States, giving the North American country the opportunity to achieve the energy dominance promised by Trump. In contrast, Mexico depends on U.S. natural gas, importing a significant amount compared to its national production.
The Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO) points out that more than 60 percent of electricity generation in Mexico relies on natural gas, leaving the country in a vulnerable position due to the lack of storage infrastructure for this fuel. Currently, Mexico only has three liquefied natural gas tanks located at private terminals in Altamira, Ensenada, and Manzanillo.
Although a public policy was published in 2018 to facilitate the development of natural gas storage infrastructure in Mexico, with the goal of having strategic reserves of the fuel, the project has not continued. Experts indicate that Mexico has untapped natural gas reserves, but the importation of cheap gas from the United States has hindered its development.
Energy sector specialists agree on the importance of having natural gas storage to ensure national energy security. The need to promote public investments in this regard is highlighted, both for national security reasons and to address potential supply interruptions, whether due to commercial reasons or weather conditions.
