IFC Investment in Optima Energia Supports Energy Efficiency in Mexico’s Hotel Sector

In Washington, D.C.:  
Adriana Gomez, IFC 
Phone:  (202) 458 5204 
E-mail: agomez@ifc.org 

In London:  
Carmen Powell, IFC 
Phone: +44 207 286 5439 
E-mail: cpowell@ifc.org 

In Monterrey, Mexico: 
Ana Cecilia Serna, Optima 
Phone: +1-52-(81) 80 00 6115 
E-mail: aserna@optimaenergia.com 




Washington, D.C., October 21, 2009—IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is 
providing a $10 million loan to Celsol S.A. de C.V., known as Optima Energia, 
to implement up to six energy-saving projects in Mexico’s hotel sector.  

Optima Energia provides complete energy- efficient solutions to clients in the 
hotel field.  It also provides in-depth energy analyses of hotel properties, 
designs energy- efficient solutions, and installs the required equipment.  

The company will work with local clients to maintain their system during a 
multiple-year contract period, while financing the hotel’s energy equipment 
investment.  This complete energy- saving service package, which is still 
nascent in Mexico, will help improve energy performance in the country’s hotel 
sector.  

“We look forward to a long-lasting relationship with IFC,” said Enrique Gomez 
Junco, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Optima Energia. “This investment 
will help increase energy-saving investments in the Mexican hotel sector, and 
allow our clients to reduce their environmental footprint by cutting energy and 
water costs by at least 40 percent on average.” 

Atul Mehta, IFC Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said, “This is 
IFC’s first direct investment in an energy-services company in the region, and 
we are very pleased to support Optima Energia.  The company’s innovative 
approach to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions in Mexico is aligned with IFC’s 
strategy to support local projects that help mitigate climate change.”  

Since 2000, Optima has saved for its clients 24 million liters of liquefied 
gas, 20 million liters of diesel, 8 million cubic meters of potable water, 145 
million kilowatt-hours, and 186,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, which 
translates into savings of $14 million a year. 

IFC’s strategy in Mexico focuses on supporting the competitiveness of the 
private sector, promoting access to finance for underserved segments, 
supporting infrastructure development, and investing in areas newly opened to 
private-sector participation. IFC also promotes sustainability and supports 
projects to improve investment climate for local firms. As of June 2009, IFC’s 
committed portfolio in the country was $850 million, its fifth largest in the 
Latin America and the Caribbean region. For more information about IFC in Latin 
America and the Caribbean, visit: www.ifc.org/lac. 

About IFC 
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, creates opportunity for people to escape 
poverty and improve their lives. We foster sustainable economic growth in 
developing countries by supporting private sector development, mobilizing 
private capital, and providing advisory and risk mitigation services to 
businesses and governments. Our new investments totaled $14.5 billion in fiscal 
2009, helping channel capital into developing countries during the financial 
crisis. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.  

About Optima Energia 
Founded in 1988 as solar-energy systems developing company, Optima now offers 
energy-saving services to reduce the consumption of electricity, fuel, and 
water in response to the need for more comprehensive energy-related services in 
the Mexican market. To date, the company has carried out more than 100 
energy-saving contracts in a variety of industries. For more information, visit 
www.optimaenergia.com.