Cuba opens two new photovoltaic parks in eastern region

HOLGUIN, Cuba, Sep 8 (ACN) Two photovoltaic parks, with a generating capacity of 21.8 megawatts (MW) each, will be opened today in the Holguin area of ​​Pilon, in the municipality of Antilla, and in Providencia, very close to Frank Pais International Airport in the eastern city of Holguin.

Raul Alexander Castillo Rodriguez, the main investor in the project and director of the province's Renewable Energy Sources UEB (Union of Energy Business Units), informed the Cuban News Agency that the construction of the Pilon site was carried out in two stages, overcoming difficulties caused by the heavy rains of October and December of last year, and then continuing with the second phase of civil construction in March.

He noted that the UEB, as the lead company, is managing several similar projects in the province, including sites in Melilla and Playa Blanca, in the municipality of Rafael Freyre, with a generation capacity of 4.4 MW each, which already contribute to the annual plan.

On the other hand, Cesar Sarmiento Avila, investment director of the Holguin Electric Company, specified that these projects are part of a program that includes opening five photovoltaic farms with a total capacity of 109 MW before the end of 2025.

The company is working on another program, funded by a donation from the People's Republic of China, which plans to build 120 MW in the country, of which Holguin will contribute 40 MW distributed across six five-solar farms and one ten-solar farm.

The installation of solar fields is a strategy implemented in the country starting in 2024, aimed at increasing electricity generation through the use of renewable energy sources, gradually replacing those that are more expensive and harmful to the environment.