China Donates 5,000 Solar Power Kits to Energy-Stricken Cuba

The Chinese government has donated 5,000 small-scale solar power kits to Cuba, which is suffering from a severe power crisis, local state-run media Cubadebate reported on the 8th (local time).

According to the report, officials from both governments held a handover ceremony for the solar power kits the previous day at the headquarters of Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment (MINCEX).

Following its provision of 5,000 solar power kits in November of last year, China has now provided an additional 5,000 units.

The newly delivered equipment will be prioritized for essential social infrastructure, including remote rural homes beyond the reach of the National Electric Power System (SEN), rural health clinics, emergency medical centers, daycare centers, childcare facilities, and bank branches.

The supplied power kits have a maximum output of 3.6 kW (kilowatts) and a battery storage capacity of 14.3 kWh (kilowatt-hours), representing significantly improved performance compared to the first batch donated last year.

These systems have the advantage of storing electricity generated during the day to stably operate major home appliances and essential medical devices even at night or during blackouts.

Cuba has recently been experiencing a severe energy crisis due to fuel shortages and breakdowns at aging thermal power plants, and is pushing to accelerate its transition to renewable energy through cooperation with China.

However, some point out that this aid alone is far from sufficient to resolve Cuba's immediate, large-scale power shortage.

This is because the power deficit during peak hours announced by the Cuban Electric Union (UNE) on this day reached 2,280 MW (megawatts), while the total power generation capacity of the 5,000 donated solar panels is 18 MW, accounting for only about 0.79% of the total required power deficit.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.