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The second large photovoltaic park built this year in Pinar del Río, located in La Lucila and with a capacity of 21.8 megawatt peak (MWp), has been synchronized with the National Electroenergetic System (SEN), while its commissioning progresses with still fluctuating generation levels.
The project, the second of the major parks planned for the province this year, is currently in its startup phase and has reached 20.55 MWp during initial testing, reported the official newspaper Granma this Friday.
According to Yosleiby Izquierdo Sánchez, chief specialist in renewable sources at the Electric Company in Pinar del Río, the technicians are reviewing inverters, concentrator boxes, and panels to verify the overall functioning of the system.
He warned that only after synchronization is it possible to confirm that all components are functioning without issues.
Daily performance has shown variations. On a cloudy day, the park produced 69 MWh, while the day before, with higher irradiation, it reached 115 MWh.
The province had previously inaugurated another park of similar dimensions in the La Barbarita area, in Consolación del Sur, which contributes between 100 and 120 MWh daily.
At the same time, a third facility with the same capacity is being built in Puerta de Golpe, also in Consolación del Sur.
Until early 2025, Pinar del Río had only eight small parks that totaled 18.5 MWp. With the new developments, the region has added approximately 48 MWp of installed capacity in recent months, the outlet specified.
Despite these increases, the impact on the country's electricity crisis is limited. Solar parks contribute just over 500 MW during peak sunlight hours and exceed 2,570 MWh daily, but their contribution does not compensate for the breakdowns in thermal power plants, prolonged maintenance, or the lack of fuel that keeps much of the distributed generation inactive.
In this regard, for this Saturday, the Electric Union forecasted a deficit of 1,675 MW and an expected impact of 1,745 MW.
Last week it was revealed that the Government of Vietnam donated four photovoltaic solar parks to the island aimed at increasing electricity generation in the province of Mayabeque.
The facilities, named Vista Alegre, El Jobo, El Fénix, and El Comino, will collectively contribute 80 MW to the SEN.
Of that capacity, 10 MW will be from stored energy due to the incorporation of modern storage systems, a technology that will allow for the conservation of electricity to meet demand peaks or times of low solar irradiation.
In August, the authorities announced the installation of the first BESS or Battery Energy Storage Systems that are used to store the excess energy produced by solar parks during the day, allowing for its use when generation is low or demand is high.
The government plans to implement 55 parks on the island by December 2025, which could add up to 1,000 MW.
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