Cuba launched its first fast and ultra-fast solar charging station for electric vehicles in Villa Clara, a facility that operates independently from the National Electric System (SEN) while millions of Cubans continue to endure prolonged blackouts amid one of the worst energy crises in recent decades.
The agency EFE reported this Wednesday that the so-called "solinera" is located on the National Highway, about five kilometers from Santa Clara, and was built and is operated by the private mipyme Solguara.
The facility obtains its energy from solar panels and does not rely on the national power grid.
The station offers two modes: one for fast charging and another for ultra-fast charging, along with connectors compatible with various international standards.
Its objective is to serve the electric vehicles that travel along one of the main roadways in the country.
The Telecentro CNTV of Caibarién highlighted that the facility operates completely independently from the SEN and presented the project as part of the official policy to increase the use of renewable energy sources.
In addition to charging cars, the solar station will allow for the connection of cell phones, fans, and rechargeable lamps.
These last services will be free, a particularly useful alternative in a country where power outages often exceed 24 consecutive hours.
The installation of Solguara was part of a group of new solar infrastructures inaugurated days earlier in Villa Clara. Among them was this station, designed as the first in the country specializing in fast and ultra-fast charging for electric vehicles.
This is not the first "solar station" installed in Cuba in general, as, for example, Santa Clara already had a solar station in the Virginia popular council since April, equipped with 56 panels, 30 kilowatts of power, and 60 kilowatt-hours of storage.
Other stations operate in the neighborhoods of Sandino, José Martí, and Ciro Redondo in Santa Clara.
Some allow not only to charge devices but also to cook food using the electricity generated by solar panels, a function that has gained importance due to the duration of power outages.
The opening also coincides with new regulations that took effect this Tuesday allowing individuals to directly import, for non-commercial purposes, electric vehicles accompanied by charging systems using renewable sources.
The Government also approved customs benefits for photovoltaic solar systems and electric vehicle chargers that use renewable energies.
The deployment comes more than a year after CIMEX announced a project to install 40 solar charging stations for electric vehicles across the country before 2026.
The plan included autonomous facilities, disconnected from the national electricity grid, and promised the capacity to charge hundreds of vehicles daily.
The calendar released at that time projected that the first station would be operational during the second half of 2025. The announced locations included Havana, Mayabeque, Varadero, Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, Sancti Spíritus, and Ciego de Ávila.
The "solineras" have been expanding as the deterioration of the electrical service forces people to seek alternatives outside the national grid.
In May, a small and medium-sized enterprise began developing a solar station to charge electric vehicles in the space that was previously occupied by a fuel service station.
The project was presented precisely as an alternative in response to the critical energy situation in that province.
In Matanzas, authorities announced the installation of nine "solineras" intended for the population to charge electric equipment and even cook collectively during power outages.
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