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The Chinese company Hainergy opened its first retail store for renewable energy products in Cuba, in an event attended by government officials and diplomatic representatives in Havana.
The announcement was made by the official portal Cubadebate and the state-owned company Cubaelectrónica, which is involved in the marketing of the equipment.
The store is located at Avenida 19, corner of Calle 60, in the Playa municipality.
Hainergy is a specialized branch in energy and new technologies of the Chinese giant Haier Group, internationally recognized for its presence in the home appliances sector, consumer electronics, smart home solutions, and, more recently, technologies related to renewable energy.
Cubaelectrónica specified on Facebook that the store operates in US dollars, although it does not mention the prices.
Dedicated to the retail sale of electronics and renewable energy products, the offering is aimed at individuals, self-employed workers, and new economic players.
This is an unusual step toward the production of energy solutions in the household sector, in a country where people have to resort to makeshift methods to mitigate the constant impact of power outages.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Oscar Pérez-Oliva, as well as the Chinese Ambassador to Cuba, Hua Xin, who cut the ribbon for the new establishment.
Hua Xin shared images of the event on X, where he publicly congratulated the initiative and emphasized its importance for the current context of the country.
Palliative care for a few
Cubadebate boasted that the inauguration is part of the Cuban government's strategy to promote electricity generation from renewable sources, as part of a program aimed at sustainable development.
However, the information clearly indicates that access to these products is not intended for the majority of the population.
In a country where state salaries are paid in pesos and are insufficient to cover even basic needs, the sale of equipment in foreign currency limits the real reach of this offer to a small sector: those who receive remittances, owners of certain private businesses, or economic actors with stable access to foreign currency.
There is still no clarity regarding prices, payment facilities, or access mechanisms, which reinforces the perception that these initiatives benefit a select few, while the majority of the population continues to face blackouts and energy insecurity.
Durable solution?
In the midst of the energy crisis that keeps the Cuban population facing daily blackouts of almost 20 hours, the opening of this retail store provides direct access to renewable energy equipment, which until now has only been possible primarily through donations, state projects, or imports from private sources.
Its inauguration sparks interest amid the energy crisis, but it also leaves several questions unanswered.
The true impact will depend on concrete factors such as equipment prices, supply stability, warranty conditions, and, above all, whether these solutions can be translated into tangible improvements for the daily lives of the population.
In the midst of a deep energy crisis, marked by prolonged blackouts, fuel shortages, and a deteriorating electrical system due to decades of underinvestment and poor management, the introduction of technologies such as solar panels, batteries, and inverters may represent a partial alternative for certain users, but does not constitute a structural solution to the collapse of the national energy system.
The commitment to renewable energy has been reiterated by the Government as part of its official discourse, but in practice, it progresses slowly, in a fragmented manner, and without a significant impact on the daily lives of most Cubans.
Without fundamental changes in economic policies and the management model of the energy sector, renewable energies, while necessary and positive, remain a limited remedy against a structural problem that the Government has not been able to resolve.
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