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The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, stated this Tuesday that forest biomass represents the greatest energy potential of Cuba, surpassing solar, wind, and hydro sources, during a meeting on energy transition led by Miguel Díaz-Canel.
The declaration was made during a meeting that examined the results of the collaborative work between the ministries of Energy and Mines and Higher Education, with the participation of the National Group of Universities for Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Efficiency (GENUFRE), established in 2019.
"The greatest potential in Cuba, which has been studied regarding solar energy, wind energy, and hydropower, is in forest biomass. The energy demand in fuel expressed in kilocalories is found in forest biomass, which is also renewable," the minister remarked, highlighting its considerable and viable energy value with local resources.
According to data from the Ministry of Energy and Mines, non-cane biomass has a potential of 1,754,000 tons of oil equivalent per year, a figure that far exceeds what other renewable sources can provide in the country.
However, the background is not encouraging. The bioelectric plant for marabú announced years ago never came to fruition, and biomass projects have historically faced funding, logistics, and execution issues that have hindered their large-scale development.
More recently, the government inaugurated a facility with a 5 million dollar investment to fuel 5 buses, a scale that many Cubans deemed insufficient in light of the magnitude of the energy crisis the country is facing.
And the electrical situation remains critical. This weekend, the availability of the electrical system was only 1,180 MW, far below the national demand, which caused widespread blackouts throughout the territory.
Despite the official rhetoric on renewable energies, the minister Vicente de la O Levy has been identified by the public as one of those responsible for the collapse.
Although some citizens acknowledge that the power outages are now more bearable than during the worst moments of 2024, the energy crisis in Cuba is far from being resolved.
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