“This is the kind of collaboration we should be doing more of among Mexico, the United States and private businesses from around the world. Our two countries offer the largest markets and workers who are second to none. With our efforts to accelerate the use of alternative energy it is an area of tremendous focus. I commend RUBENIUS for participating in the roll out of alternative energy and products that help us use energy and the power grid more efficiently,” stated President Calderon.
RUBENIUS has purchased 140 hectares of land in Baja California, Mexico and will install 1,000 megawatts of NAS energy storage batteries at a fully commissioned cost of over $4 billion U.S. They will offer the storage space to energy companies and utilities in both countries.
This energy storage solution will make deployment of wind energy and solar energy more viable. The site chosen is Silicon Border’s Science Park – developed for manufacturing high technology products in Mexicali, Mexico. The location was chosen because of its existing infrastructure and close proximity to both the Baja California power grid and the U.S. grid including the new Sunrise Power Grid expansion. In the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), the Amplex Group (a RUBENIUS subsidiary) has installed and commissioned the largest energy storage system in the world. The Baja California operation will create more than 200 direct green jobs and 800 indirect green jobs in the region.
With wind turbines producing energy at night, and solar in the middle of the day, RUBENIUS’ energy warehouse will enable power companies to store energy for use during peak demand by consumers. The grid and power management system will enable a more rapid deployment of renewable energy.
The company will also establish a base for future power generation and manufacturing of other alternative energy and smart grid products at Silicon Border that are currently under development and are being reviewed by North American customers in both countries.
“After meetings with Mexico’s President Calderon and the Minister of Economy, Bruno Ferrari, as well as various communities in Mexico, we felt a manufacturing base in Baja California will enable us to address markets throughout North America,” said Claus Rubenius, Chairman of RUBENIUS. “Furthermore, we believe the regional approach to become a mega center of energy and technology on the border of Mexico and San Diego is the best way to capitalize on the strengths of the people and both countries.”
In addition to the energy storage site and future manufacturing in Mexico, RUBENIUS will establish a research and development center in San Diego. The California location will include labs for smart grid products and services. The company expects to immediately employ more than 60 researchers, expanding to more than 200 employees for current products. The company will outsource many operations creating more than 400 additional green jobs in the region.
“After a very successful roll-out of smart grid products in the U.A.E., including street lighting controls, smart meter installations, and utility scale batteries, we are confident we can be a significant contributor to communities and countries in America who are embracing renewable energy and improving the efficiency of scarce resources with an eco-friendly approach,” said Rubenius.
RUBENIUS was approached directly by Jerry Sanders, the Mayor of San Diego, asking the company to be a part of the San Diego/Baja California Mega Region. The pro business attitude in San Diego and the alternative energy promotion efforts by CleanTECH San Diego Economic Development Corporation, CONNECT and the State of California are evidence that the community is working together to promote the region to high technology renewable energy businesses.
“We have been in discussions with RUBENIUS for some time. They came here looking for business,” said Mayor Sanders. “Once we showed them our attributes, which include the proximity to the manufacturing strength and the location of Silicon Border to Mexico, they decided to participate in our efforts to make this an energy and technology hub. We look forward to having them join our business and economic community.”
RUBENIUS, the recently created parent company of Amplex, originally incorporated in Denmark in 2001 (now Amplex-Emirates in U.A.E.) is building on the subsidiary’s 10 years of vast experience and know-how in utility scale products. With offices in the U.A.E., Shanghai, Johannesburg and Moscow, RUBENIUS (Amplex) was founded by its Chairman, Claus Rubenius.
Focused on utility service including energy warehousing, RUBENIUS helps communities, utilities and energy producers intelligently monitor and control their resources, with the goal of achieving less carbon in the process. It is also to provide reliable services at the lowest possible cost. RUBENIUS (Amplex) has contracted more than $2 billion of utility management solutions in the U.A.E. RUBENIUS and its affiliates have more than 1,900 employees.
Silicon Border is a 4,000-hectare “science park” catering to the specialized needs of the renewable energy sector including wind power, solar energy, algae harvesting and smart grid companies looking for factory sites and energy generation sites. It is strategically located at the cross roads of the power grids of the United States and Mexico. Silicon Border’s infrastructure is designed to support the most advanced technology manufacturing needs for LCDs, LEDs, semiconductors, and aerospace products. Its location enables companies here to be a cost-competitive with Asia. The inclusion of the State University (UABC) Campus and collaboration with UC San Diego ensures the location’s human resource needs are met.
