More than 1 million Cubans were without electricity for two weeks after Hurricane Melissa hit the eastern part of the island, damaging solar installations and flooding the 21.8 MW Río Cauto solar farm.
The UNDP said it is installing generators in the communities of Guamo Viejo, Grito de Yara, Vado del Yeso and Cauto Embarcadero in Granma province.
The Río Cauto facility is part of a national plan to build 55 solar farms by 2025. Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy said several solar power plants in eastern Cuba suffered structural and electrical damage. Although the installations largely weathered the cyclone, “some panels were damaged,” he said, adding that “the flood levels” forced operators to isolate systems to prevent short circuits.
The UNDP said most of the generators deployed are fuel-powered, although some use standalone 2 kWp PV systems, including one at the university center in Río Cauto. The system is intended “to cover the basic services of the campus – an institution that performs various support functions in emergency situations – and to provide energy access to the surrounding community.”
A similar hybrid system, combined with a fuel-powered generator, was also donated to the University of Granma in Bayamo, the agency said.
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