Related videos:
The Government of Vietnam donated four solar photovoltaic parks to Cuba aimed at expanding electricity generation in the province of Mayabeque, according to the local Electric Company.
The facilities, which will be named Vista Alegre, El Jobo, El Fénix, and El Comino, will collectively contribute 80 megawatts (MW) to the national electrical system.
Of that capacity, 10 MW will be from accumulated energy thanks to the incorporation of modern storage systems, a technology that will allow for electricity to be stored to meet demand peaks or periods of low solar irradiation.
The areas where the parks will be built are currently in the clearing and land preparation phase, the initial stage before structural assembly and panel installation.
The energy authorities of Mayabeque highlighted that the project represents a "significant step" in the expansion of renewable energies and will contribute to the stability of the electrical service in the region and across the rest of the country.
A necessary donation in the face of a collapsing system
The Vietnamese delivery takes place in an especially critical context for the Island, which is facing nearly constant blackouts, generation deficits exceeding 1,500 MW daily, and an electrical grid on the brink of collapse.
Despite the government's propaganda efforts that present each inauguration as a triumph, the reality for the population is a system unable to guarantee electricity for much of the day, impacting access to water, food preservation, and daily life.
The project donated by Vietnam adds to the opening, last week, of seven solar parks built in Cuba with financing from China.
These systems, which are part of a 35 MW program, were connected to the national electricity grid during an event attended by the leader Miguel Díaz-Canel.
According to Chinese Ambassador Hua Xin, these parks will save about 18,000 tons of fuel per year.
However, even with these additions, the impact on the serious energy deficit remains minimal compared to the magnitude of the crisis.
Foreign dependency and energy propaganda
Both the Chinese and Vietnamese projects have been enthusiastically presented by the Cuban government, which showcases them as examples of cooperation and "resilience."
But the energy emergency has reached its current state not due to a lack of international assistance, but rather because of years of inefficiency, lack of domestic investment, and neglect of maintenance in thermoelectric plants, distribution networks, and substations.
Donations, although valuable, are merely palliatives for a system that continues to rely almost entirely on imported oil, with outdated plants and an infrastructure unable to efficiently harness renewable energy.
The population, meanwhile, continues to endure blackouts that in many areas exceed 20 hours a day.
Even after the passage of Hurricane Melissa, the government celebrated that the photovoltaic parks suffered "minimal damages", although this information is irrelevant to the citizens who remained without electricity, water, or communication for days.
Instead of structural solutions, the official propaganda showcases images of "intact" panels, while omitting the chronic deterioration of the rest of the system, which is sustained through improvisation and recycled materials.
Another patch on a crumbling network
The solar parks donated by Vietnam represent progress, but they do not address the underlying issue. They will provide partial energy to a collapsed structure that requires massive investment, real planning, and transparency, rather than just celebratory announcements.
Without a serious and efficient energy policy, Cuba will continue to rely on foreign allies to obtain the basic electricity that a state should provide for itself.
The Vietnamese donation is a gesture of cooperation; in contrast, the Cuban electrical collapse is the result of decades of neglect.
And while the government congratulates itself on every new solar installation, households remain in the dark, hoping that the next "achievement" will illuminate more than just official speeches.
Filed under: