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The photovoltaic solar park Rafael Reyes, located in Santiago de Cuba, was synchronized with the National Electric System (SEN) this Monday, according to reports from official media.
The installation is part of the energy transition program promoted by the Cuban regime. It has an installed capacity of 21.8 megawatts (MW) and the startup of seven synchronized inverters has been confirmed.
This park is the second of four planned in the eastern province, as part of the government's investment policy aimed at increasing renewable energy generation in the country.
However, the announcement comes in the context of prolonged blackouts and a record energy deficit, which have affected nearly the entire national territory over the weekend.
Authorities admit diesel shortage as the main cause of the outages
The General Director of Electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, Lázaro Guerra Hernández, acknowledged on state television that the main cause of the interruptions is the lack of diesel fuel for distributed generation.
"The main issue is that distributed generation is being impacted due to a lack of fuel. We don't have diesel for distributed generation, and that affects availability," the official admitted.
The fuel shortage is compounded by four thermoelectric units with breakdowns and another two under maintenance, which has led to an almost universal collapse of the SEN.
Prolonged blackouts across Cuba
According to the official report from the Electric Union (UNE), the national impact exceeded 1,900 MW this Sunday during peak hours, with outages lasting more than six hours in several provinces. In Havana, the Electric Company reported a maximum impact of 359 MW at 6:20 p.m., leaving much of the capital dark from 6:39 p.m. until after midnight.
The entity acknowledged on its social media that "it was not possible to meet the scheduled programming" due to low availability of base generation and warned that outages could recur if the supply to the SEN does not improve.
The national report this Monday indicated a availability of only 1,360 MW compared to a demand of 2,150 MW, with a deficit of over 750 MW in the early hours, which increased to 1,905 MW by the end of the day.
Meanwhile, the launch of the Rafael Reyes solar park was presented by the official press as a step towards "energy independence," although the Cuban electrical system continues to be characterized by the lack of real investments, chronic breakdowns, and fuel shortages.
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