Cuba will hold next week its second Fair of Renewable energywith the intention of promoting the use of these sources at a time when the country is going through a “complex situation” of electricity, characterized by long power outages and continuous breakdowns in generating plants.
The event, which will take place from June 22 to 24 at the Pabexpo fairgrounds in Havana, aims to promote foreign investment in the renewable energy sector in Cuba and promote their efficient use for local development and in the industrial, service and residential sectors, as explained this Wednesday at a press conference by sector authorities.
According to Liván Arronte Cruz, Cuban Minister of Energy and Mines, the event will be conducive to presenting an update of the energy policy, which aims to transform the current matrix of the Caribbean country with a view to achieving energy sovereignty and promoting the use of clean and friendly energies with the environment, with emphasis on solar, wind and energy generated from biomass.
The long-term objective is none other than to achieve a 100% share of renewable sources in electricity generation on the Island, so as not to depend on fossil fuels, a purpose that is still very distant from the current situation, when only 5 % is generated in this way.
The change in the energy matrix of #Cuba to achieve 100% participation of renewable energy sources, it is essential to achieve energy sovereignty in our country. thus expressed @arronte_livan at a press conference about this event. pic.twitter.com/ZIfOJyboqN
— Ministry of Energy and Mines of Cuba (@EnergiaMinasCub) June 15, 2022
To accelerate this progressive leap, with a view to meeting the goals set by Cuba in the Sustainable Development Agenda until 2030, the appointment then points out, in which the attendance of Cuban and foreign companies, universities and specialists is planned. Specifically in the fair space, 24 exhibitors will be present, including 10 foreign companies, while the program also includes conferences, workshops, academic exchanges, a sustainable energy forum and a seminar on energy efficiency, among other activities.
In addition, an investment forum and eight business tables will be held, in which Cuban companies and entities in the sector will show existing opportunities to potential investors, while the Cuban Bioenergy Atlas will be presented.
International organizations such as the International Renewable Energy Agency, the International Solar Alliance, the International Wind Association, the Green Climate Fund will participate in the event, which also seeks to promote scientific innovation and foster international cooperation in relation to renewable sources. , China’s Belt and Road Energy Alliance, COWATER and the European Union, among others.
Similarly, it opens its doors to new actors in the Cuban economy, such as MSMEs and non-agricultural cooperatives, and to all state agencies and institutions linked to this activity.
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The second Renewable Energy Fair will be held in the midst of a “complex situation” in the national electricity system, according to what Arronte Cruz acknowledged in his statements to the press, at a time when annoying blackouts have multiplied throughout the island and has fueled public discontent.
The minister explained that in the current context a group of conditioning factors converge, among which he mentioned the US embargo, which hinders access to fuel and financial operations for its payment and the acquisition of parts and supplies necessary for the sector, the current international situation and the increase in crude oil prices after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, and the obsolescence of power plants, also weighed down by breakdowns and delays in required maintenance.
The minister assured that there is a government program to deal with this situation and recognized the work of the workers in the electricity sector, but specified that this program is conditioned by the aforementioned “external factors” and that the current difficulties will not be resolved “in a day to another”.
The long power outages were one of the triggers for the massive protests in July last year. In recent weeks they have multiplied throughout the country, along with new breakages in thermoelectric plants, which has generated growing criticism of the government’s management in this regard and has led the government itself to recognize the existing problems and report information on the availability of energy in the country.
