Ramiro Valdés, a prominent figure of Cuba's regime, officially opened the La Barbarita solar park in Consolación del Sur, Pinar del Río, on Saturday. This event coincided with continued power outages across the island. According to local media, La Barbarita has been connected to the National Electric System (SEN) since late April and is the first of four planned solar parks in the region, although no timeline for the others has been provided.
Constructed over four months with Chinese investment, the solar park is expected to last 25 years. Since April 26, it has contributed 1,173 MWh to the National Electric System, saving over 300 tons of fossil fuel, according to officials. However, its performance has been hindered by dust and environmental conditions, despite its design to withstand winds exceeding 300 km/h.
Challenges and Limitations of Renewable Energy
The inauguration of this solar facility in Pinar del Río follows the launch of similar projects in other provinces, amidst a national energy crisis marked by aging thermoelectric plants, delayed maintenance, and fuel shortages. Renewable energy only constitutes approximately 5% of Cuba's energy mix. A critical limitation of these solar installations is the absence of storage batteries, meaning the generated electricity can only be used during daylight hours, leaving nighttime demand unmet.
Power Outage Crisis Continues
Despite the integration of the Guiteras plant into the SEN, Cuba's Electric Union (UNE) announced ongoing severe energy shortages. At 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, the SEN's availability was just 1,810 MW against a demand of 2,840 MW, resulting in a capacity deficit of 1,089 MW. Midday projections indicated a 1,040 MW shortfall.
Key system issues include the breakdown of unit 2 at the Felton thermoelectric plant and maintenance work at four other generating units in Santa Cruz, Cienfuegos, Guiteras, and Renté. Additionally, the UNE reported 397 MW offline due to thermal limitations and significant disruptions from fuel shortages, leaving 65 distributed generation plants non-operational, which amounts to an estimated loss of 458 MW.
For peak evening hours, a partial recovery is anticipated with the restart of the Guiteras unit (200 MW), the addition of unit 6 at Nuevitas (100 MW), and the recovery of 70 MW from diesel plants currently inactive due to fuel shortages. Nevertheless, the expected availability will be 2,180 MW, far short of the 3,350 MW maximum demand, resulting in a 1,170 MW deficit. UNE forecasts up to a 1,240 MW impact during this period.
Furthermore, the country's 11 new photovoltaic solar parks have contributed a mere 1,131 MWh to the system, insufficient to address the overall deficit.
Understanding Cuba's Energy Challenges
Why is Cuba experiencing frequent power outages?
Cuba is facing frequent power outages due to a combination of aging thermoelectric plants, postponed maintenance, and severe fuel shortages, which have led to significant energy deficits.
How much of Cuba's energy mix is renewable?
Renewable energy accounts for approximately 5% of Cuba's energy mix, indicating a heavy reliance on fossil fuels and other traditional energy sources.
What are the limitations of the new solar parks in Cuba?
The primary limitation of Cuba's new solar parks is the lack of batteries for energy storage, which means the electricity generated can only be utilized during daylight hours.