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Chapter
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES IN CUBA:
CURRENT SITUATION
AND DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS
Jorge Morales Pedraza
Independent Researcher and Senior Consultant
in Morales Project Consultancy, Vienna, Austria
ABSTRACT
Cuba, a small country in the Caribbean Sea with a total land area of
109,886 km2 and a population of around 11.2 million, has no significant
proved oil, gas and coal reserves and use, in a very limited manner, some
of the four main renewable energy sources available in the country,
generating just 50.1 GW/h or 4.04% of the total electricity consumed in
2015 (20,288 GW/h). In 2016, electricity consumption fell to 15,182
GW/h; this means a reduction of 25% in comparison to 2015. The
renewable energy sources available in the country are: Hydropower, wind
power, solar photovoltaic and bioenergy. In 2015, out of Cuba’s total 566
MW of renewable energy capacity installed, 83% of the total was in the
bioenergy sector. In 2016, the participation of renewable energy sources in
the energy mix of the country reached 4.65%. The participation of
Jorge Morales Pedraza
2
renewable energy sources in the energy mix in Cuba should reach 24% in
2030.
Keywords: renewable energy sources, hydropower, wind, wind mills, solar
photovoltaic, biomass, bioenergy, sea waves
1. THE CUBAN ENERGY SECTOR
It is an undisputed reality that the energy production, particularly the
electricity generation and their sustained growth, constitute an indispensable
element for the economic and social progress of any country. Without doubt,
energy is the motive force of the civilization, and decides, in a high degree,
the level of economic and social development that a country could reach.
Cuba, a small country in the Caribbean Sea with a total land area of
109,886 km2 and a population of around 11.2 million, has no significant
proved oil, gas, and coal
1
reserves (see Tables 1 and 2), and use, in a very
limited manner, some of the four main renewable energy sources available
in the country, generating just 50.1 GW/h or 4.04% of the total electricity
consumed in 2015 (20,288 GW/h). In 2016, according to government
sources, electricity consumption fell to 15,182 GW/h due to problems in the
operation of some of the thermoelectric plants; this is a reduction of 25% in
comparison to 2015. The renewable energy sources available in the country
are: Hydropower, wind power, solar photovoltaic and bioenergy. In 2015,
out of Cuba’s total 566 MW of renewable energy capacity installed (see
Figure 1), 83% of the total was in the bioenergy sector
2
. It is the desire of
the government that the participation of renewable energy sources in the
energy mix of the country reach 24% in 2030.
1
According to EIA data base (2018) and government sources, the country has no proved coal
reserves.
2
According to the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM), Cuba has around 6,168.60 MW of
generation capacity installed in the country.
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
3
Source: IRENA.
Figure1. Evolution of the total renewable energy sources capacity installed in Cuba
during the period 2000-2015.
Table 1. Proved oil reserves and oil production in Latin America and
the Caribbean region in 2017
Countries
Proved reserves
(billion barrels)
Production
(thousand barrels per day)
Argentina
2.2
674
Bolivia
0.2
75
Brazil
13
3,363
Chile
0.2
11
Colombia
2
876
Costa Rica
0.0
0.4
Cuba
0.1
49
Ecuador
8.3
531
Jamaica
0.0
2.2
Mexico
7.3
2,260
Paraguay
0.0
2
Peru
0.5
143
Trinidad & Tobago
0.2
100
Uruguay
0.0
2.5
Venezuela
301
2,174
Source: US Energy Information Administration (2018).
Jorge Morales Pedraza
4
Table 2. Proved natural gas reserves and natural gas production in
Latin America and the Caribbean region
Countries
Proved natural gas reserves
(trillion cubic feet) (2017)
Production of natural gas
(billion cubic feet) (2015)
Argentina
11
1,465 (2014)
Bolivia
10
742
Brazil
15
1,238
Chile
3.5
39
Colombia
4.4
979
Cuba
2.5
48
Ecuador
0.4
59
Mexico
12
2,336
Peru
14
612
Trinidad & Tobago
11
1,481
Venezuela
201
2,832
Source: US Energy Information Administration (2018).
To achieve this goal, the energy sector in Cuba has undergone a series
of changes, which has allowed the distribution of electricity to towns and
villages throughout the country. These changes have been already included
in the documents entitled “Cuban Electricity Conservation Program
(PAEC)” and “Energy Conservation Program of the Ministry of Education
(PAEME),” both approved by the government. In 2016, the Cuban
government adopted the so-called “Energy Revolution Program,” which has
changed the way the country transforms and use the diverse sources of
energy available in the country (Suárez et al., 2012).
Unfortunately, the country has not yet overcome the economic crisis of
the 1990s due to several external and internal factors. The main external
factors are, among others, the following:
• The persistency of the US economic embargo against Cuba in force
since 1960s;
• The downfall of the Soviet Union and other socialist countries in the
1990s;
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
5
• The catastrophic effects of the hurricanes that cross the country in
the last years.
The main internal factors are the following:
• Low productivity;
• Low correspondence between the level of activities and the
financial, material, and human resources consumed;
• Low salaries;
• Insufficient energy conservation measures;
• Low production and export level of goods and elevated level of
imported basic food;
• Mismanagement of the economy;
• Lack of adequate political and economic reforms.
In 2030, the main goal of the government is to generate 24% of all
electricity produced within the country using all available renewable energy
sources. To achieve this goal, Cuba would need capital investments of
US$3.5 billion and to install other 2 GW generation capacity in the coming
years. In spite all efforts made by the government until 2017, it is far of
reaching that amount of foreign investment.
According to government sources, in 2015, the percentage of the
electrification of the whole country reached 97%, one of the highest in the
region. In 2014, the electricity generation using oil as fuel was 82%
3
, a high
percentage for a country with a low production of this type of energy source.
The location of the eight thermoelectric power plants that work in Cuba is
shown in Figure 2.
3
Cuba consume annually around nine million tons of oil at a cost of US$3,000 million.
The energy consumption per capita in Cuba is one of the lowest in the region.
Source: Cuban National Statistics Office (ONE).
Figure 2. Location of the eight thermoelectric power plants in Cuba.
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
7
According to the official statistics table published by CUBASOLAR’s
magazine “Energía y Tú (Energy and You),” and the data provided by the
minister of Energy and Mines in a recent visit carried out in March 2017 in
Germany, Cuba has seven solar photovoltaic parks actually in operation with
a capacity of 11 MW; 9,476 solar panels installed; 9,343 windmills; 6,447
solar heaters; 827 biogas plants; 169 hydroelectric plants; four wind farms
with 20 wind turbines; 57 sugar mills; and 608 stoves for wood biomass
pellet production. In addition, the island has 57 turbo generators and 67
boilers in several sugar mills. The new boost for the sugar industry –
managed by the business group AZCUBA since 2011 – includes increasing
the potential for power generation based on bagasse and other sugarcane
byproducts to supply the sector year-round.
Many experts see as a good sign the government’s decision to give
priority to the use of all available renewable energy sources within the
country for electricity generation, as set up in an extensive program launched
in April 2011. The aim of this program is to modernize the economy and to
enhance its efficiency. This program includes reactivating windmill
factories, revitalizing the hydroelectric turbine industry, and the
development of the solar panel production as much as possible, bearing in
mind that these have been the best options in a rural electrification program
implemented by the Cuban government over the past 10 years.
It has been recognized by the Cuban government that it cannot move at
a faster pace (in the development of its energy industry) due, among other
elements, to the country’s huge financial limitations. With more financial
resources, the country could advance much faster on the path to increase the
participation of renewable energy sources within the energy mix of the
country, and share it experience with other nations, as several experts have
suggested. Other experts have shown that Cuba needs a specific support
mechanism to speed up the introduction and use of alternative generators
towards a sustainable energy development that does not overburden the
state, as an attractive and reliable choice for foreign investors.
Considering the current financial situation of the country, Cuba has a
little choice, but to turn to international investors to achieve its target of 24%
Jorge Morales Pedraza
8
of the total electricity to be generated by the country in 2030 using all
available renewable energy sources.
Summary of the Actions Taken by the Cuban Government to Increase
the Use of Renewable Energy Sources for Electricity Generation
According to government sources, most of the electricity consumed in
Cuba is produced by eight old thermoelectric power plants (see Figure
2), which generate 82% of the total electricity produced within the
country. The largest of these plants is the “Antonio Guiteras”
thermoelectric power plant in the province of Matanzas, about 100 km
east from the capital.
It is important to highlight that five years ago the national electric grid
was modernized by the introduction of small and medium-capacity
generators in several locations, with the aim of avoiding the cut of electricity
to town and cities all over the country. These generators mostly use fuel-oil,
which is cheaper than diesel, for the electricity generation, and they helped
to stop the cut off the electricity in most towns and cities. However, these
measures adopted at that time by the Cuban government, were not enough
to reduce the burden of the energy sector in the Cuban budget and, for this
reason, new measures must be adopted to reduce further the participation of
fossil fuels in the energy mix of the country in the future. With these new
measures, the Cuban authorities hope to boost the use of different renewable
energy sources, such as biogas, wind energy, hydropower, biomass and solar
photovoltaic for electricity generation during the coming years, prioritizing
those that have the greatest economic impact.
In the coming years, the national electricity system is expected to use
more environmentally-friendly energy sources because of the construction
of some small hydropower plants, wind farms and solar photovoltaic parks
4
. For example, 100 MW of electricity is expected to be installed in the
4
The government wants to increase, in the next 15 years, the participation of renewable energy
sources in the energy mix of the country in 20% (Moreno Figueredo).
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
9
hydropower sector in the coming years, with the aim of reducing the
consumption of oil for electricity generation.
In 2015, the state electrical enterprise connected its first solar
photovoltaic power plant with a capacity of 3 MW. The eastern provinces of
Las Tunas, Granma, Holguín, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo are
expected to have, in 2030, a total of 73 solar photovoltaic parks in operation,
according to the energy program approved recently by the government. All
this new electricity generating facilities will have a total installed capacity
of around 300 MW. Holguin will have 23 solar photovoltaic parks with a
total capacity slightly above 90 MW, which will outstrip the rest of the
mentioned provinces. By 2030, Granma will have nine solar photovoltaic
parks, in addition to the photovoltaic park “Yarely 1” already in operation.
Currently, three solar photovoltaic parks, “La Yaya,” “Yarey 2” and “Mayarí
2” are generating electricity in Guantánamo, Granma, and Santiago de Cuba,
respectively.
Camagüey inaugurated, in 2017, its third solar photovoltaic park with a
capacity to generate 5 MW/h. By 2030, the province of Camagüey will be
able to generate around 60 MW/h, thanks to the construction of other solar
photovoltaic parks, with capacity from 5 to 10 MW/h, most in the periphery
of the capital city. It is worth mentioning that more than 200 independent
solar photovoltaic panels are already installed in the province today for
electricity generation in schools, video, and computer rooms, as well as in
isolated communities.
In 2018, it is expected that 100 MW capacity will be added to the
national grid after the construction of 17 new solar photovoltaic parks in four
provinces in the western part of the country
5
, with the participation of
foreign investors. In the coming years, a total of 59 new solar photovoltaic
parks will be constructed, 33 of which should be built before the end of 2018
in the central and eastern part of the country, with a total capacity of 59 MW
(Valdés, 2017). By 2030, the government wants to have installed a total of
700 MW in 191 solar photovoltaic parks (Figueredo et al., 2017). At present,
there are 22 solar photovoltaic parks working in Cuba with a generating
5
Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, Mayabeque and Matanzas.
Jorge Morales Pedraza
10
capacity of 37 MW, and by the end of the year 2017, seven solar photovoltaic
parks were completed with a total capacity of 11 MW (see Figure 10).
In 2013, construction began on a 50 MW wind park in Las Tunas, 654
km southeast of the Cuban capital, and it is expected that up to 600 MW
from wind sources may be added to the power grid by 2030. Cuba has wind
power potential capacity of about 2,000 MW.
Finally, it is important to stress the following: Cuban government wants
Granma province, with a population of 836,000 habitants and situated in the
eastern part of the island, to make the province 100% renewably powered, a
project the Cubans call “The Solarization of Granma Province.”
2. CUBAN ENERGY POLICY
The preparation of a national energy policy in which priorities and
preferences are named, should be one of the main responsibilities of the
national authorities responsible for the energy sector in Cuba. This policy
should represent a compromise between expected energy shortages,
environmental quality, energy cost, public attitudes, safety and security,
available skills, as well as production and service capabilities. Relevant
national authorities must take these elements into account during any future
revision of the national energy policy already approved.
To implement the new approved energy policy until 2030, Cuba is
promoting foreign investments to increase the use of renewable energy
sources for electricity generation and the reduction in the use of fossil fuel
for the same purpose. However, the process set up by the government for the
approval of new projects makes very complicate its consideration and
implementation. For this reason, more reforms are necessary to speed up the
consideration and approval of new investment projects within the energy
sector. A significant increase in energy efficiency and conservation is
another of the goals to be achieved by the government by 2030.
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
11
2.1. The Energetic Revolution and Problems Not Yet Solved
In Cuba, the last energy reform called “Energetic Revolution," adopted
by the government in 2006, have six main elements. These are:
• Increasing energy efficiency and conservation;
• Increasing the availability and reliability of the national electric
grid;
• Generalization of distributed generation with smaller electric power
plants;
• Incorporating more renewable energy technologies into the energy
portfolio;
• Increasing the exploration and production of local oil and gas;
• Increasing international co-operation in the energy sector (Morales
Pedraza, 2013).
The goal of the present energy reform is not only to look for more ways
of generating electricity, but to decrease energy demand. At the same time,
the government wants to increase energy efficiency and to reduce the
dependency of Cuba of the import of energy sources for electricity
generation and for other energy needs, and the reduction of the cost of
imported oil
6
. One of the objectives of the program was to allow people to
switch their incandescent bulbs to more efficient compact fluorescents, free
of charge, and to have access to millions of energy-efficient appliances,
including two million refrigerators, over one million fans, around 182,000
air conditioners, and 260,000 water pumps (Guevara-Stone, 2009 and
Suárez et al., 2012).
6
The energy system of Cuba still depends heavily on subsidized oil it receives from Venezuela,
which reached around 100,000 barrels per day a few years ago, but in 2016 was reduced to
around 55,000 barrels per day. On the other hand, the island produced around 2.9 million tons
of oil in 2014 (last information available), which are primarily intended for electricity
generation, covering around 50% of the total consumption in the country. The government
promised it would spend US$3.5 billion over the next 15 years to increase the use of
renewable energy sources for electricity generation.
Jorge Morales Pedraza
12
The implementation of above-mentioned program was carried out by
13,000 social workers around the country. This shift to energy saving lamps
would have saved the amount of energy produced by one large power plant
and an annual energy saving of around 3-4% of the total electricity
consumed in the country (354 million kWh) (Seifried, 2013). At the same
time, efficient electrical cooking appliances were introduced as well as
around 3.5 million rice cookers and over 5.5 million pressure cookers were
sold to families to push people to switch from kerosene to cooking with
electricity.
However, it is important to highlight that there have been several
problems with the quality of the appliances that have been bought mostly
from China as bulk purchase. Problems have been also faced with repairs
and the purchase of spare parts. The shift to new appliances has also meant
a shift to the culture of “made to break” or to “the culture of obsolescence”
as one interviewed energy expert commented (Slade, 2006). Chances are
high that the new models from China will last only a fraction of the time the
ones they replaced lasted.
One major concern of the Cuban people is that they do not have
possibilities to buy imported appliances from the market. The situation of
lack of spare parts for many of the equipment broken still has not been
solved, and there is a lack of adequate financial resources to overcome this
situation anytime soon. Because of this situation, the reaction of the public
opinion is very negative demanding the government to find a quick solution
to it. It is a fact, that the introduction of the new energy reform, instead of
reducing the demand of electricity provoked a significant increase in the
consumption of electricity from the population, forcing the government to
increase tariff and the introduction of additional measures to limit, as much
as possible, the increase in the electricity demand in all sectors, but
particularly in the public sector.
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
13
2.2. Problems with the Electrical Distribution Grid
Despite all saving energy measures adopted by the government, the
existence of very old and inefficient electrical distribution grid, provoke that
the distribution and transmission losses in Cuba are higher than international
standards (17.6% of the total electricity produced in 2014). The aim of the
government is to reduce the current level of electricity loss to 14% or less at
the end of the present decade.
According to Cuban experts, one of the best ways to give energy security
is to move from centralized to a distributed energy system
7
(now 40-42% of
the energy produced in Cuba is by this system), which partly has been
developed as a response to high exposure to damages caused by extreme
weather conditions and natural disasters, including hurricanes. For this
reason, the government began the move towards to increase this percentage.
Employing this concept means less vulnerability to natural disasters, which
might affect the electricity generation to a whole section across the country
as happened during the past. The decentralization of electricity production
has increased the reliability of supply and improved the efficiency when new
smaller-scale power plants have replaced older technology.
The strategy adopted by the government promotes also the
diversification of energy sources, while making it easier to change to the use
of renewable energy sources in the future. In 2006, and because of the
measures adopted by the government, Cuba installed 1,854 diesel and fuel
oil micro-electrical power plants across the country, representing over 3,000
MW of decentralized power in 110 municipalities
8
. This virtually ended the
blackouts that seriously affected Cuba in 2004 and 2005. In addition to the
new power plants, the government installed also over 4,000 emergency
back-up systems in critical areas like hospitals, food production centers,
7
Currently, Cuba has a generating capacity of 2,418 MW based on distributed generation. A total
of 1,280 MW corresponds to diesel generators and the rest are fuel oil motors (540 MW),
CHP (529 MW) and renewable technologies (69 MW) (Suárez et al., 2012). This means that
40-42% of the generation capacity is in distributed systems: a very significant shift away from
a centralized power system.
8
In 2018, the government hopes to start the operation of the most modern thermoelectric power
plant using diesel as fuel in the Cienfuegos province. The new plant will be composed by 40
generators and will provide 60% of the province energy needs.
Jorge Morales Pedraza
14
schools, and other sites key to Cuba’s economy. A total of 500 MW of
emergency back-up power was installed for electricity generation.
Furthermore, Cuba embarked upon a plan to modernize its existing
electric transmission network
9
. Because of the implementation of this plan,
Cuba upgraded over 120,000 electrical posts, over one million utility service
entrances, 3,000 km of cable, and half a million electric meters. The overall
effect of this program meant that, in 2005, while the country needed an
average of 280 grams of oil to generate one kWh of electricity, in 2007 this
figure had fallen to 271 grams of oil per kWh; this is a reduction of 3%.
While this might seem like a small saving, it translates to thousands of tons
of imported oil annually. In 2006-2007, Cuba saved over 961,000 tons of
imported oil only through the implementation of these energy-saving
measures.
What else can be done to improve the energy situation throughout the
country? According to different expert’s opinions, Cuba’s options are,
among others, the following:
• Enhance offshore oil exploration;
• Expand household use of liquefied petroleum gas;
• Expand the use of solar heaters, solar photovoltaic systems, small,
mini, and micro-hydroelectric power plants, windmills, water
pumps, solar dryers and distillers, and controlled climate chambers
as much as possible;
• Increase co-generation of electricity;
• Introduce new co-generation technologies;
• Enhance energy efficiency;
• Confirm the potential of wind power, solar photovoltaic and
biomass energy, and expand its use as much as possible.
9
According to Suárez and others (2012), around 90% of the national grid has been rehabilitated
after the “Energetic Revolution” started in 2006.
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
15
3. ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION
According to the US Energy Information Administration, the
consumption of electricity in the Latin America and the Caribbean region in
2015 is shown in Table 3.
Table 3. Electricity consumption in Latin America and
the Caribbean region in 2015
Countries
Electricity consumption (billion kWh)
Argentina
122
Barbados
0.9
Belize
0.4
Bolivia
7.3
Brazil
510
Chile
69
Colombia
58
Costa Rica
9.5
Cuba
16
Ecuador
22
El Salvador
6.1
Grenada
0.8
Guatemala
9.5
Guyana
0.8
Haiti
0.4
Honduras
7.5
Jamaica
2.8
Mexico
247
Nicaragua
3.6
Panama
8.5
Paraguay
10
Peru
41
Dominican Republic
13
Suriname
1.9
Trinidad & Tobago
9.5
Uruguay
11
Venezuela
74
Source: US Energy Information Administration 2018.
Jorge Morales Pedraza
16
According to the information included in Table 3, Cuba occupies, in
2015, the ninth position respect to the level of electricity consumption within
the region. The electricity consumption in Cuba in 2015 reached 16 billion
kW/h. In 2016, the level of electricity consumption felt to 15,180 GW/h; this
is a decrease of 5.2% respect to 2015.
4. THE CURRENT SITUATION OF THE RENEWABLE
ENERGY SECTOR IN CUBA
According to Moreno Figueredo, in 2017, the following types of
renewable energy sources, technologies and applications were available in
Cuba:
A. For electricity generation:
• Wind power (four wind farms with a total capacity of 11.7 MW, and
9,343 small wind turbines);
• Solar photovoltaic
10
(more than 9,000 solar panels isolated from the
grid
11
and 22 solar photovoltaic parks with a total capacity of 37
MW connected to the grid);
• Sugarcane biomass;
• Forest biomass;
• Small and mini hydropower (162 hydropower plants running
throughout the country with a total installed capacity of 71.9 MW,
of which 34 units are connected to the national grid and 128 units
give electricity to 8,486 homes and 416 economic and social
facilities);
• Biogas.
10
Average solar radiation in Cuba is higher than 1,800 kW/m2 per year. This average is very good
for the use of solar photovoltaic systems for electricity generation.
11
There are in Cuba, according to government sources, a total of 9,476 solar panels used for
electricity generation not connected to the national grid all over the country (Moreno
Figueredo).
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
17
B. For the reduction of electricity consumption, gas, and other energy
carriers:
• Co-generation of heat (steam) in the sugar industry;
• Solar thermal energy;
• Windmills for pumping water (9,343 units);
• Biogas for cooking food;
• Forest biomass for cooking food;
• Biofuels for transport.
The main renewable energy source in Cuba is sugarcane. Other
renewable energy sources are forest biomass, solar photovoltaic, wind
energy and hydropower.
Without doubt, renewable energy has played a key role as part of off-
grid small-scale electrification program adopted by the government for
remote areas. Around 10,000 households have gotten electricity due to the
implementation of this program. If the electrified schools, health clinics and
community buildings are counted, then approximately 34,900 people have
received electricity from renewable off-grid energy (Suárez et al., 2012). In
areas such as Isla de la Juventud (Youth Island) and in the municipalities of
Guamá and Bartolomé Masó, renewable is an important source of electricity.
However, the country’s energy mix is still dominated by fossil fuels, and this
situation will not change at least until 2030.
Cuba intends to increase the participation of all available renewable
energy sources for electricity production over the next eight years, with the
aim of increasing security and energy sovereignty. Today, around 5% of the
electricity generated throughout the country is produced using renewable
energy sources; over the next eight years, this percentage should be 16.5%,
according to government sources. To reach that goal, the participation of the
different renewable energy sources in the energy mix of the country in 2030
should be the following:
• Biomass (14%);
Jorge Morales Pedraza
18
• Wind energy (6%);
• Solar photovoltaic (3%);
• Hydropower (1%) (C. Ramada, 2016).
The sugar agroindustry will be “the mainstay” of this development.
There is a potential to increase by 10% the electricity production from
biomass.
Next year, the Cuban government is expected to build a wind farm of 50
MW in the eastern region of the island, with the aim of increasing the
participation of wind energy in the energy mix of the country. A nationwide
study foresees the installation of eight new wind parks with a total power of
280 MW by 2020. Furthermore, Cuba aims to generate more than 100 MW
from hydropower, which in 2015 produced 48.3 GW/h through the
functioning of 162 small hydropower facilities. Regrettably, Cuba has no big
rivers. For this reason, it cannot build large hydropower plants for electricity
generation. The only possibility is to construct mini and micro hydropower
plants in certain locations.
On the other hand, the country is working in the construction of solar
photovoltaic parks with a total capacity of 10 MWp. According to
government sources, the potential of solar energy recognized throughout the
country exceeds 2,000 MW, but currently the country has small solar
photovoltaic installations not connected to the national electric system. The
aim of these parks is to give electricity to isolated areas throughout the
country.
Another choice to increase the use of renewable energy sources for
electricity generation in the agriculture sector, is to expand the use of
biogas
12
, forest biomass and windmills.
Finally, it is important to stress that Cuba, which obtained 95.7% of its
electricity from fossil fuels, is immersed in the search for oil in waters of the
Gulf of Mexico. In 2011, the island produced four million tons of oil and gas
for electricity generation. However, the use of local fuel only covers 50% of
12
Until 2015, a total of 2,288 biogas plants have been constructed in the country. Another 7,500
biogas plants need to be constructed in the coming years to ensure an important level of
participation of this type of energy source in the energy mix of the country for 2030.
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
19
the current country’s oil demand, it is not of excellent quality for its use for
electricity generation, and some oil wells are showing certain level of
exhaustion. According to the EIA, in 2016, the local production of oil
reached 49,000 barrels per day. The oil consumption reached 172,000
barrels per day in 2015. The total amount of imported oil is around 123,000
barrels per day.
5. MAIN OBJECTIVES TO BE ACHIEVED BY CUBA IN
THE FIELD OF RENEWABLE ENERGY
According to MEM, the main goals to be achieved by Cuba in the use
of renewable energy sources for electricity generation in the coming decades
are the following:
• The reduction of the inefficiency of the national electrical system;
• The modification of the energy mix of electricity generation and
consumption;
• Th reduction of the dependence upon fossil fuels;
• The increase in the competitiveness of the Cuban economy;
• The contribution of environmental sustainability;
• The reduction of the excessive cost of electricity to consumers.
The current situation and perspective of the use of the different
renewable energy sources for electricity generation are briefly described in
the following paragraphs.
6. HYDROPOWER
There are not big rivers in Cuba. For this reason, large hydropower
plants for electricity generation cannot be built in any region of the country.
With the purpose of reducing the contamination of the environment because
Jorge Morales Pedraza
20
of the use of fossil fuels for electricity generation in the country, the Cuban
government decided to use more environmentally-friendly energy sources
for this specific purpose. Some 100 MW is expected to be generated from
new hydropower sources in the coming years
13
. In 2014, the total capacity
installed of this type of power plants was 62.80 MW. In 2017, the
hydropower capacity in Cuba reached 71.9%, according to MEM sources.
This new capacity is an increase of 14.5% respect to the capacity installed
in 2014. To increase further the role of hydropower in the energy mix of the
country, a program for the construction of 74 small hydroelectric plants with
more than 56 MW of capacity has been elaborated using the dams already
built in the country and the water available in canals and water mirrors (see
Figure 3). Once installed all the projected power, the program is expected to
generate 274 GW/h per year and should stop emitting 230,000 tons of CO2
into the atmosphere.
In 2015, the electricity generation using hydropower plants reached 48.3
GW/h. The total hydropower capacity installed throughout the country is
only 10.7% of the total renewable capacity already installed. To reach the
goal of producing 274 GW/h per year using hydropower plants by 2030,
Cuba must build new power plants with a total generation capacity of 225.7
GW/h.
13
It has been estimated by the Cuban government that the potential of new hydropower capacity
identified with the current technologies is 135 MW.
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
21
Source: El periódico de la Energía
Source: Ministry of Energy and Mines.
Figure 3. Hydropower plant.
To ease the construction of new hydropower facilities, it is indispensable
that the Cuban industry manufactures hydraulic turbines up to 325 kW, as
well as other components and spare parts. The current capabilities installed
throughout the country are not enough, but these facilities are expected to be
modernized during the coming years. The possibility of setting up
Jorge Morales Pedraza
22
productive alliances with foreign partners could reduce the total investment
costs to carry out the modernization of these facilities.
6.1. Hydropower Facilities
An important development in the use of hydropower plants for
electricity generation started in the 1980s, as part of a national plan to expand
the use of this type of energy source for this specific purpose. Four
hydropower plants were built in the 1980s with a capacity up to 46,250 kW.
Today, hundreds of micro-hydropower plants are already in various places
throughout the country, primarily in rural or mountainous areas. Very few
of these plants are connected to the grid. Cuba imported several of these
hydropower plants from China and manufactured the rest within the country
but with Chinese’s aid.
In 2017, there were 162 hydropower plants running throughout the
country with a total installed capacity of 71.9 MW, of which 34 units are
connected to the national grid and 128 units give electricity to 8,486 homes
and 416 economic and social facilities. It has been estimated that around
35,000 people have helped in getting access to electricity from these
systems. These hydropower plants generated, in 2017, a total of 151 GW/h
(C. Ramada, 2016). The biggest plant is the “Hanabanilla” hydropower plant
with an installed capacity of 43 MW.
It is important to single out that the rise of fossil-fuel price and its
negative impact on the environment, has increased the national interest in
the construction of new hydropower plants. The National Institute of
Hydraulic Resources (INRH) is currently generating 2% of the total
electricity produced in Cuba using this type of energy source. The mission
is to try to keep the participation of hydropower in the energy mix of the
country at least in 1% up to 2030, considering that the potential has been
estimated in around 600-650 MW. In 2017, around 10% of this potential is
meanwhile exploited.
The increase use of hydro energy for electricity generation in the future
will depend on the level of the resources available to finance the construction
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
23
of new hydropower plants. On the other hand, it is important to stress that
half of this potential lie in protected regions with high biodiversity value,
one of the reasons why hydropower has not been developed in larger scales
until today.
The absence of large rivers in Cuba limits the use of hydropower plants
for electricity generation. Most of the rivers in Cuba can be classified as
medium or small and not all provinces have rivers that can be used for
electricity generation. The province of Granma, in the eastern part of the
island, is somehow different to other provinces. The province is blessed with
many small rivers on which new mini-hydropower and micro-hydropower
plants can be built. Thirty-six of these plants are already installed in the
province and produce over 7 MW of electricity for homes, hospitals and
schools not connected to the grid. Only five of these plants, with a capacity
of 1,740 kW, feed electricity into the grid.
The country uses small and medium waterfalls and rivers to generate the
electricity for several rural communities, and use dams and canals already
built for the same purpose. Recent estimates put Cuba’s total gross
hydropower potential at 14,600 GW/h per year. It will be generated mostly
from Cuba’s 219 existing water reservoirs, which were constructed for water
management and irrigation (Morales Pedraza, 2013).
Finally, it is important to single out that hydropower is second only to
biomass in Cuba’s renewable energy sector. The country has more than one
hundred years of experience in the use of hydropower for electricity
generation, which was one of the most utilized renewable energy
technologies in Cuba in the first half of the 20th century.
6.2. Electricity Generation
The electricity produced in Cuba by hydropower plants in 2014 was 104
GW/h, which represent only 0.5% of the total electricity produced by the
country during that year (19,366 GW/h, according to ONEI, the Cuban
national statistics’ office). In 2015, hydropower plants generated 48.3
Jorge Morales Pedraza
24
GW/h; this is only 0.02% of the total electricity generated by the country in
that year. The total hydropower capacity installed throughout the country is
80.7% of the total renewable capacity installed in 2014 (84.5 MW). The goal
of the government is to keep the participation of hydropower in the energy
mix of the country in around 1% by 2030.
6.3. Looking Forward
According to MEM, the government is working in the modernization of
the “Hanabanilla” hydropower plant installing six Russian hydro-groups
(“San Blas,” “Mini Hanabanilla,” “Avapro,” “Arroyón,” “Guamá” and “El
Dian”); in the rehabilitation of four mini hydropower plants (“Cuzco,” “Pozo
Azul,” “Cilantro” and “4th Congreso”); in the construction of the Mayarí
transfer; and in the building of 74 new hydropower facilities that will have
an estimated generation capacity of 56 MW. The main characteristic of the
new hydropower plants is that they will be synchronized to the national grid.
Once the full potential mentioned above is installed, the annual savings will
be more than 80,000 tons of fossil fuels. The electricity to be generated by
the new hydropower plants will stop emitting more than 230,000 tons of CO2
to the environment.
The program to be implemented by the industry to support the future
participation of the hydropower plants in the energy mix of the country is
expected to include: a) an increase in the production associated to the
turbines: b) the modernization of hydroelectric facilities; c) the manufacture
of new models of horizontal turbines, speed regulators, peak turbines and
micro hydropower plants.
Source: C. Ramada (2016).
Figure 4. Location of the new hydropower plants to be built in Cuba in the coming years.
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
26
The location of the new hydropower plants to be built in the country in
the coming years is shown in Figure 4.
7. WIND ENERGY
The technological development of this type of renewable energy source
can be applied in onshore as well as in offshore wind farms. Onshore wind
farms are less expensive, although introduce environmental and sociological
impacts that make them highly questioned in certain scenarios and countries.
On the other hand, offshore wind farms have the advantage of quality and
strength, and present fewer environmental and sociological noises and
inconvenience. However, their operation and maintenance are more
expensive and complex than onshore wind farms. The latter, together with
the first investment, makes them 20% more expensive than onshore wind
farms. In this context, large-scale wind energy is expected to grow between
20% and 30% annually (Moreno Figueredo)
14
.
The wind prospecting program in Cuba began in 1991 due to the
satisfactory results obtained on the measure of wind speed all over the
country. According to this first study, wind speed was particularly higher in
the southeast of the island (above 7 m/s). However, the real Cuban wind
potential was included more precisely in a wind map elaborated in 2007
using 49 meteorological stations. Between 2005 and 2010, wind
measurements were carried out throughout the country, which constituted an
intensive exploration of the resource. Because of these measures, a total of
21 zones on the north coast and in the eastern zone of the island were
selected as the most helpful for the construction of wind farms. If the
potential of these 21 areas is considered, then the total shows that the
technically installable potential is 1,100 MW up to the present day,
14
In the case of Cuba, offshore wind farms do not offer short-term prospects, especially for the
availability of flat areas favorable for installing onshore wind farms and the excessive costs
associated to the construction of offshore wind farms. In addition to this, is the conflict with
the tourist development in the keys located in the north of Cuba, and the great depth of our
near coast seas.
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
27
considering the use of wind turbines of 1.5 MW (Moreno Figueredo)
15
,
which is much lower than expected. These wind farms can generate a total
of 2,500 GW/h.
In the last years, Cuba has installed different wind farms in several
locations to increase the use of renewable energy sources for electricity
generation. These new wind farms are included in Table 5. In 2017, Cuba
has installed four experimental wind farms with a total capacity of 11.8 MW.
Those installed in the north of the island reached an annual capacity factor
of 27%.
It is important to stress that the exploration and characterization of the
Cuban wind potential includes the operation of a network of 88 automatic
measurement of wind parameters to heights of up to 50 meters in 32 zones
throughout the country, and a network of 12 references meteorological
stations, with measurements up to 100 meters height. There is a wind map
from Cuba (see Figure 5), which reflects that the wind resource is in the
north-eastern and central regions of the country.
Source: Cuban Meteorological Institute.
Figure. 5. Wind Map.
15
This potential may be greater if the resource survey is continued by increasing the number of
measuring stations, raising the height of the measuring towers up to 100 meters and above all
extending the measurement time so that the estimates are more accurate. Areas in the center
and west of the country, which are promising areas, should be further investigated (Moreno
Figueredo). According to the expert Guillermo Leiva Viamonte, from INEL (Engineering and
Projects for Electricity Company, Cuba), the wind power potential in the country is around
2,000 MW out of which between 1,200 MW and 1,800 MW would be feasible to install by
2020.
Jorge Morales Pedraza
28
Table 5. Wind farms installed throughout the country in 2017
Provinces
Wind
farms
Winds
machine
installed
Capacity of
each wind
machine (MW)
Power of the
wind farms
(MW)
Holguin
Gibara 1
6
850
5.1
Holguin
Gibara 2
6
750
4.5
Ciego de Ávila
Tiguan
2
250
0.5
Isla de la
Juventud (Youth
Island)
Canarreos
6
275
1.65
Total
20
11.8
Source: MEM.
Source: Photo journal Reve.
Figure 6. A wind farm in Cuba.
In addition to what has been said above, there are 90 small wind turbines
and 9,343 windmills installed in the agricultural sector, and there are two
factories where windmills are produced. These two factories are in the
provinces of Artemisa and Granma, with a capacity of 1,800 mills per year.
7.1. Ciego de Avila
The first experience in wind farms in Cuba was in 1997, in Tiguan,
Ciego de Ávila province with the use of two wind turbines (225 kW each)
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
29
for electricity generation. The total nominal power of this wind farm is
450 kW. The wind farm is still functioning.
7.2. Youth Island
The second wind farm was constructed in Canarreos, in the Youth
Island, south-western of Cuba. The wind farm has six wind turbines, each
180-foot-tall, with an installed capacity of 1.65 MW and a production of
around 4 GW/h. The government invested US$3.4 million in the
construction of this wind farm. The government estimated that this wind
farm can save around US$136,000 per year in fuel costs.
7.3. Holguin
According to government sources, the third and fourth wind farms were
constructed in Gibara (“Gibara I and II”) situated near the lighthouse at
Punta Rosa, 2.4 km from the city of Gibara, in the Holguin province. “Gibara
I,” the largest wind farm of the country, was built in 2008, and has a capacity
of 5.1 MW. “Gibara II” has six winds Chinese designed Goldwind S-50
turbines, each of which can produce 750 kW. The total capacity of “Gibara
II” is 4.5 MW. The total capacity installed in Gibara is 9.6 MW. The annual
capacity factor of these two wind farms is 27%. “Gibara I” is fitted with
Spanish variable-pitch technology (GAMESA wind turbines). “Gibara I and
II” have contributed with 50,771 MW/h to the national electric system since
2008.
In Romano’s key, there is a hybrid wind-diesel system of 10 kW
capacity that works autonomously. The signal transmission tower in La Cana
has a hybrid system with a six-kW wind generator.
Jorge Morales Pedraza
30
7.4. Granma
Although most of the wind potential of the island is found along the
coast, there are 938 windmills that pump water in Granma. Wind-measuring
stations have shown that there is a potential of more than 800 MW wind
capacity for electricity generation in the province, so the government hope
to install more wind turbines in the coming years.
7.5. Electricity Generation
In 2015, the electricity produced by wind farms reached 122,076 MW/h,
a significant increase in comparison to 2010, according to MEM. The
participation of wind power into the energy balance of the country should be
around 6% of the total in 2030, if the additional wind farm now under
consideration by the government are finally built.
According to a report jointly sponsored by the International Atomic
Energy Agency, the Center for Information Management and Energy
Development, and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social
Affairs (2008), among the renewable energy sources available in the country
for electricity generation, wind energy could provide a significant share of
the country’s energy mix in the coming decades. Its use in appropriate
sectors and places will meet short-term local demand, and in the medium-
term, could contribute to the national electric grid and to other isolated
electric systems in rural remote areas as well.
During the 1990s, several studies were carried out to assess the potential
of the wind resources within the country. The results from these studies were
as follows:
• The preparation of Cuba’s first wind atlas, which was limited by the
analytical tools used for taking measurements in meteorological
stations;
• Measurements in 23 places carried out by the wind energy group
“Engineering Enterprise for Electricity”;
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
31
• Wind energy is the form of renewable energy most likely to
penetrate the Cuban market since the preliminary potential can
already cover-up to 6-8% of current electricity generation. The wind
atlas of the country was completed in 2007 and includes all the wind
potentials identified throughout the country until today. The
expected availability of electricity from wind converters is between
25% and 30%.
7.6. Looking Forward
According to MEM sources, there is a plan for the construction of 14
wind farms to be implemented during the coming years with a capacity of
more than 600 MW, and with a capacity factor expected to be greater than
30%. According to this plan, the new wind farms to be constructed in Cuba
in the coming years are included in Table 6 and Figure 7.
With the purpose of supporting the construction of new wind farms in
Cuba, the government decided to produce large wind turbine’s components
and aggregates such as towers, power transformers, electric cables, and
electric slates, among other components. Small wind turbines up to 10 kW
will be also manufactured in the country. For widespread use in homes and
the private sector, the government will produce 20,000 windmills, as well as
components for the sustainability of these installations.
Table 6. Studies carried out for the construction of new wind farms in
Cuba during the coming years
Provinces
Municipality
Zone
MW to be installed
Las Tunas
Jesús Menéndez
Herrera 1
51
Las Tunas
Jesús Menéndez
Herradura 2
50
Holguin
Banes
Rio Seco I and II
50 each
Ciego de Ávila
Morón
Turiguanó norte
51
Holguin
Banes
Cabo Lucrecia
50
Holguin
Gibara
Gibara III
50
Camagüey
Esmeralda
Jagüeyes
50
Holguin
Banes
Puerto Mulas
50
Jorge Morales Pedraza
32
Las Tunas
Manatí
Nuevas Grandes
40
Guantánamo
Maisí
Punta Fraile I
52.5
Guantánamo
Maisí
Punta Quemado I
52.5
Guantánamo
Maisí
Punta Fraile II
35
Guantánamo
Maisí
Punta Quemado II
35
Note: The total capacity included in the table is 667 MW, but according to government
sources the total capacity to be installed is 633 MW.
Source: MEM.
7.6.1. Las Tunas
A total of three new wind farms with a capacity of 141 MW will be built
in this province during the coming years. All these three wind farms are
already micro located, and has their electric scheme prepared, along with all
other relevant information. This type of wind farms will be built in the north-
east part of the island, mostly far from the poles of electricity consumption.
For this reason, it is necessary to create networks for its interconnection with
the national electrical system. According to MEM sources, one of these three
farms will be built by the state with its own resources (“Nuevas Grandes”)
and the other two with the participation of foreign companies (see Figure 7)
(Figueredo et al., 2017).
Source: MEM.
Note: Wind farms in blue will be constructed by the government; wind farms in red will
be built by foreign companies. The total capacity to be installed is 633 MW
according to government sources, but in the above Figure the capacity to be
installed is 656 MW.
Figure 7. Location of the 14 wind farms to be built in the north-east part of Cuba.
Location of the wind farms
Source: MEM
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
33
8. SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC PARKS
After the adoption of the National Energy Sources Development
Program, the Cuban government embarked on a drive to save energy and to
increase the use of more renewable energy sources, particularly solar
photovoltaic systems, for electricity generation and water heating. All rural
schools, health clinics and social centers throughout the country not
previously connected to the national grid, were electrified with solar
photovoltaic systems. Today a total of 2,364 solar photovoltaic systems have
been installed in the island on rural schools, making lights, computers, and
educational television programs accessible to almost all students in the
country. The government began, in 2017, the implementation of a national
program for the supply of solar photovoltaic panels to be installed in private
houses for electricity generation.
Solar photovoltaic systems are also used for water heating in the
residential sector and in larger social institutions, such as nurseries,
hospitals, and schools, as well as in remote rural areas with poor access to
the national electricity grid, including hospitals, schools, tourist sites and
private homes. A total of 9,476 solar photovoltaic systems have been
installed with this specific purpose (See Figures 8 and 9).
Source: Cuba Energía
Jorge Morales Pedraza
34
Source: ECOSOL Energía.
Figure 8. Solar photovoltaic systems installed in a rural medical post.
Source: Cuba Energía
Source: ECOSOL Energía.
Figure 9. Solar photovoltaic systems installed in a rural school.
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
35
Some of these solar photovoltaic systems have special social
significance, such as those installed at the 225 general practitioner doctor
dispensaries located in the sparsely populated inland hills. A typical
installation is a 400 W system that powers twelve fluorescent lamps, a TV
set, a radio transmitter, three medical instruments and a small refrigerator
for vaccines.
The diversification of solar photovoltaic systems connected to the grid
in the mode of distributed generation, should guarantee adequate levels of
energy efficiency. Solar photovoltaic technologies used in Cuba for
electricity generation are planned for a 25-year’s life cycle. The use of this
technology ensures the electricity generation in the most efficient manner
and takes advantage of the available solar potential throughout the territory.
During the life cycle of a solar photovoltaic park, each MW installed should
generate 38,750 MW/h. This represents a saving of more than US$2.5
million only in fuel consumption and failing to emit 127,875 tons of CO2
into the atmosphere (Moreno Figueredo).
According to estimates of Cuban specialists on the subject, in 100 km2
a total of 15,000 GW/h per year can be generated, which is somehow like
the current electricity generation based on conventional fuels.
8.1. Solar Investment in the Power Sector
Until May 2017, Cuba has built 22 solar photovoltaic parks with a total
capacity of 37 MW. The plan for 2018 is shown in Figure 10.
In 2015, the Cuban government approved an increase of 700 MW in the
current solar photovoltaic capacity installed. Out of this total, 350 MW will
be constructed by the Cuban government with its own resources, and 350
MW will be constructed by foreign companies. According to the standard of
US$2 million per MW that Cuba uses in its investment portfolio, the total
cost of the projects under negotiation with foreign companies would be
US$700 million. The solar photovoltaic parks under consideration by the
Cuban government are expected to generate around 1,000 GW/h per year,
avoiding the emission of 874,000 tons of CO2.
Jorge Morales Pedraza
36
Source: MEM.
Figure 10. Solar photovoltaic parks to be constructed in 2018.
In 2018, a total of 17 solar photovoltaic parks with a capacity of 100
MW will be constructed by foreign companies in four provinces in the
western part of the country (Pinar del Rio, Mayabeque, Artemisa and
Matanzas). All these solar photovoltaic parks are to be built 100% by foreign
firms under build-own-operate (BOO) type of contract. The state utility
“Electrical National Union” (Unión Nacional Eléctrica, UNE) will be the
sole buyer of the electricity generated by these parks, paying a fixed
negotiated price during the next 25 years. Additional 184 MW of capacity
will be also constructed in 59 solar photovoltaic parks in a selected group of
provinces in the central and eastern regions of the country by the end of
2018
16
(see Figure 10).
16
Three solar photovoltaic parks with a total capacity of 50 MW will be constructed by
UK-based “Hive Energy” in the Mariel Special Development Zone.
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
37
8.1.1. Solar Photovoltaic Parks under Construction
with Government Resources
There are several solar photovoltaic parks under construction in Cuba
with government resources. In the following paragraphs, a brief information
about these new solar photovoltaic parks under construction has been
included.
8.1.2. Camagüey
According to government sources, during 2018 a solar photovoltaic park
with a total capacity of 5 MW will be completed in the province. The
construction of the park will be divided in two phases. One MW of capacity
will be constructed in the first phase, and the remaining 4 MW of capacity
will be available at the end of the second phase.
Camagüey began, in May 2016, the construction of its second solar
photovoltaic park, designed to generate 1.2 MW/h, located near the
Integrated Water Technology Center (CITA), in the north of the city. The
total solar photovoltaic capacity already installed in the province is 2.8
MW/h and include the solar photovoltaic park built in the municipality of
Guáimaro two years ago. The installation of the solar photovoltaic park in
Guáimaro saved in its first year of operation the consumption of more than
500 tons of oil. Meanwhile, the use of solar photovoltaic in the CITA area
with 4,800 panels, decreases diesel consumption equivalent to over 1,200
tons in one year and avoids the emission of more than 1,500 tons of CO2.
Currently, in the province of Camagüey there are 200 solar photovoltaic
panels installed in schools, video, and computer rooms, as well as in isolated
communities.
8.1.3. Cienfuegos
Cuba’s first solar photovoltaic park opened in 2013 in Cantarrana in the
central province of Cienfuegos, 300 km east of Havana. It boasts 14,000
photovoltaic panels which in a stroke more than doubled the country’s
Jorge Morales Pedraza
38
capacity to harvest energy from the sun installed until that year. In April
2013, the park began contributing to the island’s energy grid (Rodriguez,
2013).
According to the Newsletter “FRE” 2016, in the province of Cienfuegos
began, in March 2016, in a very rocky terrain, the movement of land for the
future construction of a new solar photovoltaic park called “El Pino.” The
park, located in an area near the municipal head of Rhodes, is erected at a
cost of 6,540,000 Cuban pesos. The generating capacity of “El Pino” is 2.2
MW, and has 3,520 foundations, 880 tables and 8,800 solar panels. With the
beginning of the electricity generation by this park in 2017, the total capacity
of the province increased to 11.2 MW. The existence of several free lands in
Cienfuegos could allow the construction of new solar photovoltaic parks
with a total capacity of adding 60 MW by 2030.
8.1.4. Pinar del Rio
In the province of Pinar del Rio, in the western part of the island, the
construction of the first solar photovoltaic park began in January of 2015
(See Figure 11). The park with a capacity of 3 MW will contributed to a
circuit that feeds the wells that serve all the water to the city, about 8,000
consumers, will help the development of the agriculture in the area, and it is
expected to save 1,300 tons of fuel equivalent per year. The construction
cost was about 7,000,000 Cuban pesos. The recovery of the investment is
expected not to exceed six years. The park has 12,040 solar panels, at about
4,000 solar panels per MW, all produced at the Electronic Component
Company “Ernesto Che Guevara,” located within the province. The support
structures used during the construction of the park are also produced by
national firms.
On the other hand, the Cuban electric company in Pinar del Río began
the construction of a second solar photovoltaic park in 2016, with a
generating capacity of 2.2 MWp (Megawatt peak). The facility is in “El
Cafetal,” in the municipality of San Luis. According to Michel Casals,
director of investments in the company, the park is providing energy directly
to the national electrical system (Suárez Rivas, 2016).
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
39
In addition to the above-mentioned parks, two new solar photovoltaic
parks have been installed, which will allow to relieve the electric peak of the
noon hours and to extend the useful life of the generating units that produce
energy in that period of the day. The new sites are set up around Pinar del
Rio city and one of them is backed by a Chinese donation of the technology
used during the construction of the solar park. The Cuban side was
responsible for the civil construction and the assembly of the different
components of the park (Pimentel Miranda, 2017).
Source: Courtesy of Eduardo Gonzalez.
Figure 11. Solar Photovoltaic Park in Pinar del Rio.
According to the government plan, seven photovoltaic solar parks will
be built in the province of Pinar del Rio in 2018, to contribute with more
clean energy for the electricity generation in the province. Michel Casal
Hernández, director of investments of UNE in the western territory,
explained that all areas for the construction of solar photovoltaic parks have
already been identified. Each of the parks will have 5 or 10 MW of capacity.
Summing up the following can be said: Pinar del Río has a total of 27
areas prepared for the construction of 11 solar photovoltaic parks before
2030, which will be implemented through different programs using foreign
investment (Corbillon Diaz, 2016). The province is expected to have 99 MW
of solar photovoltaic installed capacity by that year (Newsletter FRE, 2016).
Jorge Morales Pedraza
40
8.1.5. Granma
The province of Granma, situated in the eastern part of the island, had
1,628 small off-grid solar photovoltaic systems powering medical clinics,
local hospitals, schools, social centers, museums, and homes, located in
remote areas without access to the national grid. There are also 426 solar
hot-water heaters, three solar distillers to produce water for solar
photovoltaic system batteries and a solar dryer that dries medicinal plants
for the Natural Medicine Center located within the province. The Cuban
government funded most of these systems and supplied them with solar
photovoltaic panels fabricated in Cuba using imported cells.
8.1.6. Sancti Spiritus
A second solar photovoltaic park is under construction in the province
in the region of Neiva in the municipality of Cabaiguán in the central part of
the island. The park will have a capacity of 4.4 MW and will be built in an
area of 7.1 ha. It is expected that the new solar photovoltaic park will
generate 6,600 MW/h per year, when connect to the national grid and will
save the consumption of 1,700 tons of oil per year.
The purpose of the government is to have in Sancti Spiritus, in 2019,
several solar photovoltaic parks operating with a total capacity of 63 MW,
which will represent around 70% of the total electric demand of the province
at lunch time.
8.1.7. Guantánamo
In December 2013, the “Santa Teresa-Los Güiros” solar photovoltaic
park in Guantánamo, with 10,800 solar panels on 5 ha started to generate
electricity to the national grid.
8.1.8. Mariel Special Development Zone
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
41
At the Mariel Special Development Zone in the Artemisa province in
the western part of the island, the UK-based “Hive Energy” will build a total
of 50 MW in three solar photovoltaic parks already approved by the
government. Using the national standard of US$2 million per MW, the total
cost of the construction of these parks is estimated at US$100 million. The
construction of these three solar photovoltaic parks is expected to be
concluded before the end of 2018.
8.2. Electricity Generation
If the government wants to reach its goal of 24% of electricity generation
using renewable energy sources by 2030, then it needs to add at least 633
MW of wind capacity, 700 MW of solar photovoltaic and 860 MW of
biomass to its current energy mix. While several of the projects to install
new renewable capacity will be 100% Cuban owned, the government is
looking for foreign investment to implement over 200 of these renewable
energy projects.
With a Chinese loan of US$150 million and other financial resources,
the Cuban government will build 59 solar photovoltaic parks with a total
capacity of 184 MW during the coming years. Based on this information, it
can be confirmed that the government will be able to end 2018 with over
17% of the solar photovoltaic energy plan until 2030 implemented. A credit
from the Renewable Energy Agency will facilitate the lifting of four solar
photovoltaic parks with a capacity of 10 MW. Another loan granted to the
electronics industry will enable to build 16 new solar photovoltaic parks with
a total capacity of 40 MW (Figueredo et al., 2017).
Until 2017, and spite efforts made by the government to increase the
participation of solar photovoltaic systems in the energy mix of the country,
the total solar photovoltaic capacity already installed represents only 4.2%
of the total renewable energy capacity installed. This percentage is very low.
To change this situation, the government is inviting foreign companies to
invest in the solar photovoltaic sector during the period 2018-2030.
Jorge Morales Pedraza
42
8.3. Looking Forward
The MEM will carry out pre-feasibility studies to install 1,666,000 solar
panels with a total capacity of 400 MW during the coming years. The aim is
to generate 490 GW/h per year, at an estimated operating cost of 0.002
CUC
17
/kWh in several provinces of the island. This program will replace the
consumption of 122,470 tons per year of fossil fuel (mainly oil). According
to government sources, the investment will be recovered in 11 years.
Source: Courtesy of Ronald Suárez.
Figure 12. Solar photovoltaic panels.
To implement the above-mentioned program, the government will
increase the capacity of the national company “Ernesto Che Guevara” of
Pinar del Rio to up to 50 MWp, with the aim of satisfying the needs of solar
panels for several of the solar photovoltaic parks to be installed throughout
the country before 2030. On the other hand, the national industry is expected
to produce components and aggregates for the solar photovoltaic parks to be
built during the coming years, such as inverter, panel mounts (tables),
transformers, blackboards, electrical cables, and hardware.
In the solar thermal sector, the program will use completely the factory
design capacity of vacuum tube heaters “RENSOL” (50,000 units) located
in Morón, Ciego de Ávila in the central region of the island. The factory will
also manufacture solar dryers for food, seeds, wood, and medicinal plants of
17
CUC, the convertible Cuban pesos, has a rate of exchange 1 CUC=0.89 US dollars (included
10% penalty for the use of US dollars in the transaction).
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
43
assorted designs. It will also develop the production of solar concentrators
to generate electricity.
Finally, it is important to highlight from recent government public
sources, that the Cuban government intends to expand the use of solar
photovoltaic systems in the future with the purpose of providing electricity
to more than 100,000 private houses located in remote rural areas. The
population living in these areas cannot be supplied with electricity by the
national electrical grid. The government also announced that, in addition to
build 17 solar photovoltaic parks with a total capacity of 100 MW in the
western part of the country, in 2018, it has the intention to build, in the
central and eastern part of the country and with the participation of foreign
firms, additional 59 solar photovoltaic parks with a total capacity of 184 MW
(Valdés, 2017). The tender of 33 of these new solar photovoltaic parks will
begin in 2018, and the construction is expected to be concluded in 2019.
9. BIOMASS
Biomass is a source of natural energy, mostly from agricultural crops
and their residues, forest residues due to planting and animal waste. Biomass
has been an energy source since time immemorial and, in fact, was the first
fuel used by humans. Despite its ancient use, it will continue to occupy a
prominent place in the global energy system during the coming decades
(Salomon, 2016).
Biomass is the only renewable energy source that can produce three
types of fuels: liquid, solid and gaseous. In Cuba, its use has been limited
mainly to solid biomass as an alternative fuel for various scenarios ranging
from food cooking to steam, energy, and coal production (Melo et al., 2012).
Sugarcane biomass has been used as an energy source for hundreds of
years to produce heat and electricity
18
. When combined, both processes are
known as co-generation. In developed countries, the efficiency of co-
18
One ha of sugarcane (see Figure 13) can produce the same level of energy than the consumption
of 8 tons of oil.
Jorge Morales Pedraza
44
generation technology is more than 100 kWh for each ton of processed
sugarcane.
In Cuba, the number of sugarcane installations in operation in 2017 was
as follows:
• 57 sugar mills with a potential of 16 million tons of sugarcane to
grind at each harvest;
• 11 alcohol distilleries;
• 10 refineries.
Sugarcane biomass (bagasse, see Figure 14) showed the main advances
in the development of new steam generators and systems of bagasse drying,
as well as a great expansion of co-generation. The initial objective of the
government is to install 755 MW in bioelectric plants to use bagasse in 25
sugar mills by 2030 (see Figure 15). This initial capacity was then increased
up to 860 MW. It is expected that the bioelectric plants will generate 1,900
GW/h, avoiding the emission of 1.7 million tons of CO2 per year.
Source: Courtesy of Conrado Moreno.
Figure 13. A sugarcane field.
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
45
Source: Courtesy of Echeveria and Arelys María, Cuba.
Figure 14. Sugarcane bagasse.
With the aim of reducing the consumption of fossil fuels, particularly
oil, the government expect to take advantage of the energy that can be
generated by the sugar mills throughout the country, after the introduction
of appropriate technological solutions. This modern technology will allow
the use of biomass sugarcane for electricity generation throughout the year.
There are great potentialities to increase the participation of biomass in the
energy mix of the country, if the energy contained in the sugarcane is
properly used, if marabou is used as a new renewable energy source
available throughout the country, and if a correct use of forest biomass
available as fuel is made. Boilers that burn fossil fuels can be used as
biomass potential after the necessary transformation.
The overall potential for other agroindustry residues is much smaller
than the one for bagasse (rice husk around 3% and saw dust around 0.15%
of the bagasse potential) (Suárez et al., 2012). However, in some regions and
communities, these agroindustry residues could provide a sustainable
option. The plans to generate electricity from rice husk and feed it to the grid
are still in pilot stage. Experts in CUBAENERGÍA consider that this could
be a beneficial option for at least 40 rice mills in the country.
AZCUBA, the Cuban company responsible for the operation of the
sugar mills, has already worked in the construction of 25 MW in a selected
group of these facilities. Within this group, a total of 11 sugar mills are ahead
in the implementation of this program. It is important to highlight that the
Jorge Morales Pedraza
46
aim of achieving 24% in the use of renewable energy sources for electricity
generation, will heavily depend on this sector (14%) (Figueredo et al., 2017).
To reach that goal, initially a total of 22 sugar mills was considered as
sufficient with a total capacity of 755 MW. However, after a careful revision
of this program, the government has approved an increase beyond the initial
capacity to be installed to 860 MW, involving a total of 25 sugar mills, three
more than original selected, distributed from Artemisa to Santiago de Cuba.
A total of 3,440 GW/h per year, it is expected to be generated by these plants
saving a total of US$350 million (C. Ramada, 2016).
Today, the Cuban sugar industry currently generates 37 kW/hour for
each ton of sugarcane it grinds and delivery to the national grid 15% of the
electricity produced with biomass sugarcane. The implementation of this
program will increase this contribution by more than three times and will
ensure the flexibility of co-generation with high efficiency in harvesting, and
in a steam condensation system outside of harvesting (Figueredo et al.,
2017).
Source: MEM.
Note: In red are the bioelectric power plants to be constructed by the government; in blue are the plants to be constructed by foreign
companies; in black, are the plants offered.
Figure 15. Bioelectric power plants.
Jorge Morales Pedraza
48
9.1. Granma
Granma province is the home of 11 sugar mills, all of which employ
generators who turn the bagasse into electricity. The Granma’s sugar mills
produce 34.7 MW of electricity that power the processing plants and that
occasionally gets feedback into the national grid. The province also has
abundant biomass in the forms of sawdust, coffee husks, rice hulls and
marabou
19
. In addition, Granma has 14 commercial dryers to dry coffee, rice,
and wood; 135 brick kilns; and 632 domestic kitchens that use this type of
energy source. There are also 127 biodigestors throughout the province that
use animal waste from cows and pigs to produce methane. The methane is
used to run lights or for cooking.
Cuban environmental engineers are also experimenting with making
biodiesel out of Jatropha carcass, a non-edible plant that grows in difficult
terrain. There is currently a 20-acre Jatropha farm in Granma making
biodiesel for the province’s tractors.
The use of firewood for different purposes was maintained, but with a
more coherent policy in its use. A plan for reforestation of different areas
was approved by the government.
9.2. Matanzas
According to Salomón (2016), the planned 20 MW bioelectric plant at
the “Jesús Rabí” sugar mill, in the province of Matanzas, is one of 25
bioelectrical plants, which will be installed in this sector by 2030.
Currently, the “Jesús Rabí” sugar mill has the required volume of
sugarcane to process 4,500 tons per day. However, it does not have the co-
generation capacity to ensure a 100% processing rate. The power capacity
19
Around 2 million hectares in Cuba is covered by marabou. It has been used for charcoal
production, including charcoal for activated carbon, which is exported to Italy and France. In
2017, charcoal was exported to the US for the first time in the last decades. But mostly of the
marabou available in the country is not use in any productive activity.
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
49
installed in this sugar mill only supports 80% of the processing potential,
fixed at 3,600 tons of sugarcane per day.
The project consists of replacing the equipment in the thermal energy
area of the sugar mill (steam boilers, turbine generators, water treatment
equipment, transformers connected to the national electricity system and
biomass storage areas) by new energy-efficient equipment. The project will
install a boiler with capacity to produce 110 tons of steam per hour, which
will work at a pressure of 67 bars and a temperature of 520 degrees, with no
less than 85% efficiency and use 50% moisture bagasse as fuel during
harvest time. The bagasse will be combined with 10% of sugarcane
agricultural waste during harvest time and 17% of this type of waste at other
times, mixed with the remaining sugarcane biomass from the mill itself and
the remaining mills in the province of Matanzas. It will also use marabou
provided by agricultural production units belonging to the Ministry of
Agriculture.
The project also aims to reduce the environmental impact on the sugar
manufacturing process, with the installation of air purifiers for gases
generated during the combustion of biomass. The chosen technology will
allow for continuous improvement and care of the agroecosystem, as the
residual ash from steam generation, which is high in potassium, will be
applied as liquid fertilizer to the sugarcane fields. As such, conservation and
better use of water resources will result from condensing the steam extracted
from the turbine. Once this bioelectric plant is operational, it is expected an
increase of 19% in raw sugar production during each harvest, as well as a
fourfold increase in efficiency in the sugar mill’s power generation. In
addition, the use of forest and sugarcane biomass could save the country an
estimated of US$20 million in fossil fuel consumption.
The new bioelectric plant will be a co-generation plant built in an area
next to the sugar mill, which will ensure that harvests during the period of
construction and assembly are not negatively affected. Once up and
operating, it will consume all the bagasse and agricultural waste produced,
as well as the pure steam condensates from heating and evaporation
equipment and water from the sugar processing, which in turn will supply
steam to the turbine generators for the sugar manufacturing process and the
Jorge Morales Pedraza
50
electricity it requires. The electricity surplus from the sugar manufacturing
process will be sold to UNE.
9.3. Cienfuegos and Ciego de Ávila
Works on the bioelectric plants corresponding to the “5 de Septiembre”
sugar mill, in the province of Cienfuegos, and the “Ciro Redondo” sugar mill
in the province of Ciego de Ávila, each with a capacity of 60 MW, are
currently awaiting the approval of the final documents, for the signature of
their respective financing agreements to take place. The plant at the “5 de
Septiembre” sugar mill will be built and operated through a management
contract between the Cienfuegos Sugar Company and the Industrial
Construction Company of Brazil. As for the “Ciro Redondo” sugar mill, it
will be built and operated by a joint venture between AZCUBA shareholder
ZERUS, and the Havana Energy Company, from the UK. Installation and
commissioning will be undertaken through a turnkey project led by
Shanghai Electric from China.
9.4. Villa Clara
The first construction stage of the bioelectric plant attached to the
“Hector Rodríguez” plant in Sagua la Grande in Villa Clara, started in
correspondence with the program approved in Cuba to increase the use of
non-polluting fuels. Pedro Alberto Villavicencio, coordinator of the project
in the territory, explained that the construction of this plant near the sugar
mill makes it possible to take advantage of the bagasse, one of the residuals
of the harvest, to obtain energy at a very low cost. It is expected that during
each harvest, this plant will be able to deliver to the national grid between
13 and 14 MW/h, and in the rest of the year a little more. The plant will have
equipment from China (Hernández, 2018).
The Villa Clara program includes the construction of two more
generators, one in “Quintín Banderas” sugar mill and another in “George
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
51
Washington” sugar mill, in the municipalities of Corralillo and Santo
Domingo, respectively. These factories will be designed to work about 300
days a year, for which, in each site should be guaranteed sources of supply
of biomass to replace fossil fuel consumption.
9.5. Electricity Generation
In 2017, the sugar industry has installed almost 470 MW in 25 sugar
mills in 13 provinces. These sugar mills are included in Table 6.
Table 6. Total megawatts installed in Cuba in 2017
Provinces
MW installed
Artemisa
17.7
Mayabeque
17.5
Matanzas
25.8
Villa Clara
58.2
Cienfuegos
37.5
Sancti Spiritus
23.2
Ciego de Ávila
46
Camagüey
71
La Tunas
66
Holguin
41.5
Granma
34.7
Santiago de Cuba
30.4
Guantánamo
4.7
Total
469.2
Source: MEM.
9.6. Looking Forward
According to MEM sources, the projection of the sugarcane biomass is
the following:
Jorge Morales Pedraza
52
• Reach more than 110 kW/ton of ground sugarcane with medium and
high-pressure boilers;
• Construction of a bioelectric plant at the “Jesús Rabí” sugar mill,
with the installation of a 20 MW power block. Other equipment to
be installed are the following:
− Biomass storage system;
− Boiler with 100 t/h, 67 bars;
− 20 MW turbogenerator;
− Chemical water treatment plant;
− Electrical sub-station of interconnection.
• Construction of a second bioelectric plant at the “Ciro Redondo”
sugar mill, with the installation of an energy block of 60 MW. Other
equipment to be installed are the following:
− Biomass storage system;
− Boiler with 100 t/h, 67 bars;
− 20 MW turbo generator;
− Chemical water treatment plant;
− Electrical sub-station of interconnection.
9.7. Projects Studied
Table 7 includes the relevant information on the different projects
studied until the beginning of 2017. These studies include the production of
medium and high-pressure steam boilers at the “Jesús Menéndez” sugar mill,
and the production of components and aggregates to increase the integration
of the bioelectric biomass plants such as pumps, fans, valves and conveyors.
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
53
Table 7. Biomass projects studied
Provinces
Sugar mills
MW to be installed
Matanzas
Jesús Rabí
20
Ciego de Avila
Ciro Redondo
55
Camagüey
Batalla de Guásimas
50
Matanzas
Mario Muñoz
50
Artemisa
30 de Noviembre
50
Holguin
Fernando de Dios
25
Ciego de Ávila
Ecuador
35
Sancti Spiritus
Uruguay
50
Holguin
Urbano Noris
50
Holguin
Cristino Naranjo
35
Cienfuegos
5 de Septiembre
60
Camagüey
Brasil
50
Villa Clara
Panchito Gómez Toro
15
Las Tunas
Antonio Guiteras
50
Villa Clara
Héctor Rodriguez
20
Las Tunas
Majibacoa
35
Granma
Grito de Yara
35
Mayabeque
Héctor Molina
35
Santiago de Cuba
Julio Antonio Mella
35
Source: MEM.
10. SEA WAVES
Tide currents, wave energy and ocean thermal energy conversion could
be realistic options for Cuba as an island.
According to La Razón (2016), a new method that will use the energy
of the sea waves to facilitate the natural circulation of the water will be
applied for the first time in Cuba in the lagoon “Larga” in Cayo Coco, Cuba,
located in the north coast of the central province of Ciego de Ávila, 430 km
from Havana. The lagoon is about three kilometers long and is considered
the most extensive natural reservoir of the northern keys of the province.
Jorge Morales Pedraza
54
Source: Internet.
Figure 17. The lagoon “Larga” in Cayo Coco.
To launch this system, created by experts from the National
Autonomous University of Mexico, a canal will be built that will connect
the reservoir with the coast and in it, two wave amplifiers will be inserted,
according to the information provided by the delegate of the Ministry of
Science, Technology and Environment in the area, Rafael Pérez. Using this
technology, the water can be injected inland, which will allow the natural
exchange of the lagoon with the sea and reduce the time of retention of the
liquid, according to the opinion of the above-mentioned expert. So far, the
period it took for the lagoon to regenerate all its water is one year, while the
new method this would be achieved in twenty-four hours. Some areas of the
lagoon are in zones where water circulation is minimal, which causes bad
smells and the proliferation of mosquito breeding sites.
CONCLUSION
“The International Renewable Energy Agency reported that, in 2016,
total global renewable energy capacity increased by 161 GW, reaching 2,000
GW by the end of that year” (Graeber, 2016).
Cuba is also increasing its renewable energy capacity already installed
for electricity generation. The country is carrying out an Energetic
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
55
Revolution with the aim of reducing the use of fossil fuels for electricity
generation and increase, in the same proportion, the use of different
renewable energy sources for this specific purpose. It is important to single
out that the energy transition in Cuba began several decades ago, but without
having a comprehensive policy, a regulatory framework for the use of these
new energy sources and specific projects for the use of renewable energy
sources for electricity generation identified, together with the lack of
financial and human resources needed to implement this program, among
other factors. There was also an absence of awareness about the need to use
this type of energy source for electricity generation and heating, not only at
the decision-makers level, but within the society as well. It must be
recognized that, despite efforts of some institutions and research centers
related to the subject, there was no real understanding of the need for these
changes within the government.
However, in 2006, the government began to take firm steps with the
declaration of the “Energetic Revolution” in Cuba. The purpose of this
program is to change the energy mix of the country by increasing the use of
all available renewable energy sources in the country (see Figure 17). Within
this program, several projects for the development and use of renewable
energy sources for electricity generation were included. Because of the
implementation of this program, the government have now a clear energy
agenda, which was approved in July 2014 by the Council of Ministers and
the National Assembly of People’s Power.
The shift towards an economy not based on fossil fuels inevitably leads
to an increase in the use of renewable energy sources. Thanks to the
development of the technologies associated to the different renewable
energy sources over the last twenty years, the actual costs of generating wind
and solar photovoltaic electricity have been reduced to about US$0.10 per
kW/h or less. The cost is significantly lower than the cost of the electricity
generated by the power plants that burn oil within the country, which is
around US$0.20 per kW/h. The same applies to biomass and hydropower.
The government is expecting that by 2030 the energy mix of the country
will be the following (see Figure 17):
Jorge Morales Pedraza
56
• Fossil fuels: 32%;
• Other fossil fuels: 21%;
• Biomass: 14%;
• Wind energy: 6%;
• Solar energy: 3%.
With the aim of saving resources as much as possible, as well as the
reduction in the use of fossil fuels for electricity generation and the emission
of CO2 to the atmosphere, the government decided to support an increase in
the use of renewable energy sources for electricity generation up to 24%
within the country’s energy mix by 2030. According to Figure 17, the use of
fossil fuels for electricity generation will continue to be, in 2030, the main
energy sources used in Cuba for this purpose (76%) with a negative impact
on its economy.
Source: Julio C. Ramada, IMRE.
Figure 17. Energy mix for 2030.
Table 8. Capacity to be installed by 2030 by energy source
Energy Source
Capacity to be installed (MW)
Biomass
860
Wind
633
Solar Photovoltaic
700
Hydropower
56
Renewable Energy Sources in Cuba
57
Biogas
27
Source: Moreno Figueredo.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank PhD Julio C Ramada from IMRE, University of
Havana, for the supply of some information about the solar photovoltaic
sector in Cuba, and to Merbin Pazos-Revilla, Specialist, College of
Engineering Tennessee Technological University, for his comments on
some sections of the chapter.
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