Cuba will begin the installation of 5 thousand two-kilowatt solar panels donated by Chinain a context marked by the exacerbation of the energy crisis and the US oil fence
The announcement coincides with one of the most critical moments for electricity generation on the island, with massive blackouts that this Monday would affect around 64% of the country turned off simultaneously, according to agency calculations. EFE based on official forecasts.
According to the newspaper Granmaof the 5 thousand photovoltaic systems, 2,671 will be destined for “vital centers in all municipalities”, while the rest will be installed in isolated homes, including those that have never had access to electricity.
A total of 556 will be set up in polyclinics, while 461 will go to nursing homes and 349 to offices of the state Electrical Union (UNE).
Likewise, 336 will be for bank branches, 301 for funeral homes, 240 for Etecsa facilities and 161 will be allocated to maternity homes.
Grandparents’ homes, radio stations and telecommunications centers will also benefit, according to the official report.
Serious crisis in Cuba due to fuel shortage
The Ministry of Energy and Mines (Minem) highlighted on social networks that the project is advancing “in the midst of the genocidal blockade” that the country faces.
“Energy solutions are being implemented throughout Cuba that allow vitality in polyclinics, banks, funeral homes, maternity and nursing homes, traffic lights, bakeries, schools. They cannot block the sun or solidarity,” the organization said.
Elena Maidelín Ortiz Fernández, project manager for installing these systems at UNE, explained to Granma that he The objective is not to achieve total self-sufficiency of the centers, but to guarantee their basic functioning.
“The installation of these two kW systems is not intended for self-sufficiency of all consumption, but rather for the energy survival of that center, which at the same time contributes to the vitality of the municipality and the province,” he stated.
Solar panels in the face of energy crisis in Cuba
The Cuban energy crisis has been aggravated in the last month by the United States oil siegewhich has intensified fuel shortages and power outages.
Although the US energy blockade has accelerated the implementation of renewable energy on the island, solar generation remains a minority within the national electrical system.
FAO warns of the “serious” effect of Cuba’s fuel crisis on agriculture
Last year, an ambitious program began to build a hundred solar parks with a total installed capacity of 2,000 megawatts (MW).
So far, half of these facilities have already come into operation, according to an office from EFE.
However, Until last year, around 80% of the Cuban energy mix ran on fossil fuels.
Cuba produces oil to cover only a third of its energy needs, which keeps the country in a critical position due to the zero import of crude oil due to pressure from the United States.
The installation of these photovoltaic systems seeks, at least in the short term, to protect essential services and reduce the social impact of blackouts amid the US oil siege against the island.
