Pinar del Río preparing for greater solar energy use
ACN | Wednesday, 3 August 2016 | Click here for original article
PINAR DEL RÍO.—Eleven new solar farms will be built across the province of Pinar del Río, contributing to the island’s renewable energy sources, and joining the two existing farms located in the capital municipality of the province.
The solar farms will profit from the proximity of electrical substations to minimize energy losses through transmission from eastern thermal power stations and other plants to Vueltabajo, Llanes Leonardo Correa, principal investor of the Hidroenergía Basic Enterprise Unit, told ACN.
Meanwhile, Michel Casal Hernández, investments director of the Cuban Electric Enterprise noted that the installations will provide energy directly to the National Electric System (SEN) and ensure a greater generating capacity in the territory.
The solar farms will also reduce dependence on fossil fuels and produce clean energy for this part of the island.
According to Radio Guamá, foreign investment is key to this project, with one of the solar farms already built near the city of Pinar del Río enjoying Chinese support.
The first of these systems installed in the province in 2015 has already generated more than three gigawatts of power, reducing carbon emissions by approximately 1,000 tons, and ensuring electricity supplies for some 8,000 consumers.
The chosen locations for the new farms seek to exploit the high levels of sunlight in these areas.
Experts have reported that in the coming years Cuba will build a series of small solar parks, which together will generate some 700 megawatts of power. (ACN)
