Cuba advances on its path towards environmental sustainability

Specialists from the Ministry of Energy and Mines, the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Higher Education of Cuba have received a week-long training course on the planning, construction and management of wind farms through the “2nd International Workshop on the Logistics and Construction of Wind Farms” as part of the “EU-Cuba Expert Exchange Project for the promotion of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency in Cuba”.

The workshop was held in Las Tunas (Cuba) and included the participation of sixty specialists. It is the continuation of the training programme that began last year with the “Wind Farm Operation and Maintenance Workshop”.

The training programme’s content focused on the main phases of developing wind farms, including the preparation of the preliminary draft project, the logistics of transport and construction, and management and start-up. Theoretical training was topped off with a technical visit to the wind farms that are already in operation, Herradura I and Herradura II.

The four operational wind farms in Cuba generate up to 20.4GWh per year, and it is expected that with the start-up of thirteen more projects before 2023, electricity generation will increase to 1,968GWh/year as part of the country’s efforts to update its energy model and generate 24% of electricity through renewable energy by 2030.

The “EU-Cuba Expert Exchange Project for the promotion of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency in Cuba”, funded by the European Union and managed by FIIAPP, is a cooperation programme delegated by the European Commission. Its purpose is to support the Cuban government in the efficient and sustainable management of resources, with a focus on both renewable energies and energy efficiency goals, facilitating foreign investment in the sector as well as access to international cooperation funds.