Madrid – Spain's Gamesa, a manufacturer of wind turbines, said Wednesday it reached an agreement of intent with the Mexican Federal Electricity Commission, or CFE, to jointly develop wind energy projects in Mexico. Under the terms of the agreement, Gamesa will build a plant in Mexico to make towers for wind farms via Windar Renovables, a company it owns jointly with Spain's Daniel Alonso Group.

The plant will be located in Altamira, a port city in the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas, and have the capacity to manufacture equipment for 500 MegaWatt of generating capacity annually, with the gear produced at the plant going to the Mexican, Central American and U.S. markets.

Construction of the plant will start this month and the facility should be in operation next year, Gamesa said in a statement.

The agreement of intent also includes a commitment to promote technological and industrial development, as well as research into renewable energy sources, the Windar Renovables company said.

The agreement also opens the way for the CFE, a state-owned company, to work on wind energy projects being developed by Gamesa in other countries.

Gamesa, which operates around the world, is developing projects in the United States, Mexico, Brazil and the Dominican Republic, among other countries.