JBIC President and CEO Hiroshi Watanabe delivering opening remarks
  A presentation being made by Vice-Minister Jordy Herrera of the Ministry of Energy

JBIC and the Mexican Embassy in Tokyo co-organized a seminar titled “Business Opportunities in Mexico’s Energy Sector” on September 10, 2009.

The speakers making presentations in the seminar included Vice-Minister Jordy Herrera for Energy Planning and Technical Development of the Ministry of Energy, representatives of Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), Mexico’s state-owned oil company, and others from Mexican and Japanese public and private sector. 

The presentations centered on the Energy Reform Law passed in the National Congress in October 2008 and business opportunities it has created in Mexico’s energy sector for Japanese businesses.  Japanese firms’ strong interest in Mexico’s energy sector was felt from 160 people attending the seminar.

JBIC President and CEO Hiroshi Watanabe gave an overview of JBIC-financed projects in Mexico and expressed the possibility of supporting the business activities of Japanese firms by utilizing JBIC’s Leading Investment to Future Environment (LIFE) Initiative in the clean energy sector, as there are prospects for increasing business opportunities, following the passage of a legislative package reffered to as the Energy Reform in Mexico in 2008. 

Mexican Ambassador Miguel Ruiz-Cabañas expressed gratitude for the people attending the seminar as well as those who had helped organize the seminar, in addition to stating his hope for strengthening business ties between the two countries.

In the morning session devoted to clean energy, Vice-Minister Jordy Herrera of the Ministry of Energy acquainted the audience with the state of the energy sector in Mexico, its agenda and future business opportunities.  He also pointed out that as his country is developing oil and natural gas fields, expanding and constructing refineries, installing pipelines and constructing LNG terminals to meet growing demand for oil and natural gas, there are vast capital investment needs in the coming years. 

Further, he stated that with a view to mobilizing funds to meet financing needs arising from such investment, his government has taken a range of measures under the Energy Reform Law, which has enabled PEMEX to conduct efficient business operations^*1  and accelerate private-sector investment by introducing incentive contracts.^*2

He revealed that since the entire world is facing an urgent agenda of taking measures to mitigate climate change and improve energy efficiency, the Mexican government has instituted a policy of raising the ratio of renewable energy to power generation from the current 3.3% to 7.6% by 2012.^*3 In this context, Vice-Minister showed strong expectations for Japanese firms to participate in clean energy projects, as well as oil and gas projects.

  Head of JBIC’s Environment Finance Engineering Department Takashi Hongo at the podium

Following Vice-Minister Jordy Herrera, presentations were made by Minister Raul Urteaga of the Mexican Embassy on business opportunities in the clean energy sector; by Mr. Hiroshi Yagi, Manager, International Sales Dept., Solar Energy Division, Kyocera Corporation, on his company’s business activities in Mexico; Mr. Osamu Onodera, Director, Internationed Cooperation Office, Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Department, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, on Japanese energy efficiency policy; and Mr.Suganuma Kiichi, Secretary General, Japanese Business Alliance for Smart Energy Worldwide on its organization and activities.

In his presentation about “Potential of Clean Investment and Financial Support,” Mr. Takashi Hongo, Head of JBIC’s Environment Finance Engineering Department, pointed out that there are prospects for very large financial needs for climate change mitigation and energy efficiency improvement measures, that it is the private sector that will serve as a driving force behind environmental measures, while the public sector will perform the role of putting in place an enabling environment for the private sector to make investments in the environmental sector, and that JBIC will perform a pump-priming role for accelerating investment in the private sector.  He then cited JBIC’s efforts to realize a low carbon society, including support for the diffusion of Japanese firms’ environmental technologies by utilizing the LIFE Initiative and the provision of information on carbon credits to Japanese firms through the Carbon Credit Trading Platform.

  Associate Managing Director of Finance Arturo Delpech of PEMEX making a presentation

In the afternoon session, Mr. Alturo Delpech, Associate Managing Director of Finance of  PEMEX gave a presentation on ”PEMEX, a New Starting Point” and explained about overall business activities of PEMEX, the reform of its business practices in the wake of the legislation of the Energy Reform Law, and its future business strategy. Mr. Luis Ramos, Associate Managing Director of Strategic Planning, PEMEX and Mr. Jose Ignacio Aguilar, Associate Managing Director of Investment Analysis, PEMEX respectively talked about the upstream and downstream projects of PEMEX.

  Mr. Yoichi Maeno, Managing Executive Officer, JBIC

On the following day (September 11), an event titled “Business Matching with PEMEX” was held where Japanese businesses that had filed applications in advance and PEMEX individually engaged in business talks.  Strong interest in Mexico’s oil and gas sector by Japanese firms was attested by the number of applications for business talks with PEMEX that exceeded initial expectations.

Over the years, JBIC has built good relations primarily with Mexico’s oil and gas sector.  JBIC will continue to support further expansion of Japanese business opportunities in Mexico by holding seminars and business matching events.