On April 26, 2024, the completion ceremony for the Grant Aid Project “Electricity Supply Improvement Project on the Island of Youth” was held at the Cuban Electricity Corporation Power Plant on the “Island of Youth” (Juventud), the largest remote island in the Republic of Cuba.
The ceremony was attended by approximately 200 government and business officials, including Prime Minister Marrero, Minister of Energy and Mining De La O, and Cuban Electricity Corporation representative Lopez, from the Cuban side, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Hirata and JICA Cuba Office Director Asida, from the Japanese side.
Prime Minister Marrero, Representative of the Cuban Electric Power Corporation, Lopez, at the completion ceremony (front right: Minister of Energy and Mining De la O., second from right: Ambassador Hirata).
Cuba faces the challenge of reducing imports of petroleum fuels needed for thermal power generation, which accounts for more than 80% of its electricity, as well as improving generation efficiency and supply reliability, which have declined due to the aging of thermal power plants. The country has therefore set a goal of increasing the share of renewable energy in domestic power generation by 2030. The project’s target island of Youth Island (Juventud) is the largest island in Cuba with approximately 80,000 inhabitants, and electricity is supplied through an independent grid from the main island of Cuba. The Cuban government aims to increase the percentage of renewable energy in the island’s total electricity generation from the current 5% to 30% by 2030, which is higher than the national target.
However, since solar and wind power generation fluctuates greatly depending on weather conditions, the supply-demand balance of electricity can easily become unbalanced and the grid frequency unstable, leading to malfunctions of power generation equipment, power outages, and other problems. In order to realize a 30% renewable energy ratio, it is essential to have a power grid stabilization system to ensure a stable supply of such energy.
Map of cooperative areas
Ribbon-cutting ceremony (from right to left: Prime Minister Marrero, Ambassador Hirata, and Cuban Electricity Corporation Representative Lopez) Prime Minister Marrero and Ambassador Hirata looking at the commemorative nameplate.
Against this backdrop, this project was implemented with the aim of stabilizing the power supply and combating climate change on the island of Aoyo by installing the necessary equipment and devices for power system stabilization, including storage batteries, power receiving and transforming facilities, and control equipment. This is expected to increase the share of renewable energy in the island’s total electricity generation from 5% to 18%, thereby contributing to the stabilization of electricity in the country.
Storage battery system maintained by the project
At the completion ceremony, Prime Minister Marrero said, “The implementation of this project is of great importance, given the complex economic situation that is causing electricity supply and demand to be tight throughout a wide area of our country. I would like to thank the Japanese government and JICA for their financial and technical support.
Ambassador Hirata also said, “Cuba is not alone. It has many friends around the world, including Japan. In recent years, bilateral cooperation between Japan and Cuba has expanded and diversified. Our country is always ready to support the development of the Cuban people,” he said.
JICA will continue to promote cooperation in the Cuban energy sector, including the introduction of renewable energy.
© Source JICA
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.