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The main airport terminal connecting the Varadero resort with international destinations could meet all its electricity demand through solar energy following the construction of a new photovoltaic park.
According to a publication by the state-run newspaper Girón on Facebook, Juan Gualberto Gómez Ferrer International Airport in Matanzas will be the first in the country to manage its total electricity consumption independently thanks to this energy project, another attempt by the regime to revitalize its collapsed air transportation system.
The General Secretary of the Party Committee at the facility, Osmany Sánchez, explained that the solar park is in the preparation phase and will have the capacity to contribute 1,212 megawatts to the airport's electrical system.
According to the leader, the generation would cover 100 percent of the airport's demand, mainly between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM, the time of highest solar radiation, and it would also include a storage system that would allow energy to be stored for five hours.
Sánchez boasted that the project's goal is to reduce fossil fuel consumption and ensure the energy stability of the facility, which is seen as a key point for the arrival of international tourists in the province of Matanzas.
Data cited by the media indicate that nearly 20 percent of airports worldwide already use solar energy as part of their operations, in an effort to reduce environmental impact and dependence on traditional fuels.
The initiative is part of the official plans to expand the use of renewable sources amid the prolonged crisis of the national electricity system, characterized by frequent blackouts in much of the country.
The investment comes after it was announced that the international airports in Cuba will remain without fuel availability for airplanes at least until April 10, according to an official notice issued by the island's aviation authorities.
The information was reported by the agency EFE, which indicated that the Notam message, directed to pilots and air traffic controllers, confirms that the Jet A1 fuel shortage affects all international terminals in the country and will remain in effect for an additional month.
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