The generation of solar parks in Cuba this Tuesday exceeded 800 MW in a midday period, the highest level reported so far in that time slot. in the midst of the worst energy crisis aggravated by the United States oil blockade.
The data, which constitutes a record in photovoltaic generation, was reported by the director of the National Load Dispatch of the Electrical Union, engineer Félix Estrada Rodríguez, who specified that the record was reached yesterday as a result of the expansion of installed capacity in the country, according to the entity.
The UNE points out that the country installed more than 1,000 MW in this type of clean energy in 2025, but at the beginning of last year The Government had said that it planned to install 55 parkswhich would generate more than 1000 MW. Now they assure that they generate more than 1000 MW, however, the year closed with only 37 parks in operation.
In the UNE reports from January, the number of parks in operation went from 37 to 49 in just 24 hours, without detailing which ones they were or the area to which they belong. That figure still does not reach last year’s plan.
The country’s first decision is to continue with the development of the installation program of photovoltaic solar parks, under the auspices of China, Deputy Prime Minister Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga indicated last week, during a broadcast of the Round Table.
By the end of the current year, this energy source must deliver about 2 thousand MW to the island’s energy mixwhich is currently suffering from blackouts of more than 20 consecutive hours throughout the country, except in Havana, where interruptions have reached up to 17 hours in recent weeks.
The Government is committed to accelerating the installation of these parks, as well as domestic renewable energy systems. Pérez-Oliva stated that “that is the path, that is the point where we have to get to,” in reference to energy independence.
Batteries and surplus generation
Almost at the end of 2025, installations began in the municipality of Cueto, in the province of Holguín, of the first Energy Storage System (BESS), a technology that will seek to provide greater stability to the National Electroenergy System in the midst of the crisis that the country is going through.
These batteries will allow the surplus generation from the solar panels to be conserved for use during consumption peaks or in the event of failures in the production plants, the company notes. Cuban News Agency.
This is, the report indicates, an infrastructure that must be extended to other strategic points in the country. Last August, a report from Cubadebate He announced that these units will also be installed in substations such as Bayamo 220, Cotorro 220 and Habana 220. Each one can store 50 MW.
Díaz-Canel confirms that Cuba has not received fuel since December
According to international estimates, on light cloudy days, effectiveness can be reduced by 10% to 25%; When it is very cloudy or with light rain, the indicator can drop by 50% to 80%; Meanwhile, with heavy rain or storms, energy production can decrease by up to 90% or more, since sunlight is almost zero.
The logistics to implement these medium-sized parks, according to international standards, are enormous and require a considerable qualified workforce. Each 21.8 MW project requires 42,588 panels and 16,380 piles, detailed the Vice Minister of Construction, Antonio Mauri Medina, who highlighted the mobilization of 15,000 multisector workers to quickly install these solar farms.
The United States closed the tap of Venezuelan oil to Cuba after the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3, and a few days later announced tariffs for any country that supplied fuel to the island in an extraterritorial measure that has been rejected by Cuba’s allies such as Russia and China.
Havana, which imports two-thirds of its energy needs, thus lost a key ally and a vital supply. Experts estimate that, of the 110 thousand barrels per day that Cuba requires, Venezuela would contribute about 30 thousand in 2025, which leaves the island in a critical situation.
