Pemex Projects Brine Lithium and EV Charging at Gas Stations by 2030
Sener's plan, published September 7, outlines lithium extraction, EV charging, solar farms, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with phased investments beginning in 2026.
Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) is projecting plans to extract lithium from petroleum brines, install EV chargers across its gas station network, and produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The roadmap was formalized in the Hydrocarbon Sector Development Plan that the Secretaría de Energía (Sener) published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación on September 7, with phased investments starting in 2026.
The document itself acknowledges that none of these business lines has materialized, meaning the portfolio functions as a roadmap for the coming years, as reported by El Financiero. Bloomberg Línea confirmed that the state company is preparing lithium, renewable energy, and biofuel projects: its corporate planning director, Jorge Alberto Aguilar, stated that the company has energy transition initiatives underway that it expects to develop into specific projects. The diversification comes as Pemex seeks revenue beyond crude oil and Mexico remains a central link in the energy bridge between the U.S. Gulf and Latin America, where demand for critical minerals and charging infrastructure is tracking the region's electrification.
The plan's timeline begins in 2026 with investment in charging infrastructure, first at Pemex facilities and then across its gas station network, along with solar farms for self-consumption or sale on the Wholesale Electricity Market. Commercial lithium extraction from brines, now under evaluation, has projected investment starting in 2028 and operations in 2030. The target by 2030 is to cover 5% of national aviation fuel consumption with SAF; to produce it, Pemex plans to develop green hydrogen with investment from 2027. The portfolio also includes wind energy on decommissioned platforms, eco-diesel with a maximum of 10 parts per million of sulfur, and recovery of gas currently being flared or vented.
The first checkpoint will be 2026, when Pemex must begin investing in EV charging and solar farms. The brine lithium evaluation, with commercial operations targeted for 2030, will determine in the coming years whether this portfolio moves beyond a roadmap and becomes concrete projects.
This article was written with artificial intelligence assistance from verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.
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This article was drafted with AI assistance from verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.