Havana, Jun 16.- The use of biomass in Cuba for energy purposes was the subject of an extensive exchange of views among academics, researchers and producers, participants here at an International Agroforestry Convention.
Among the experiences exposed was the use of marabú as a fuel to generate electricity and to refine sugar cane in a sugar factory located in the central province of Camagüey, with levels of efficiency superior to that achieved by the burning of oil.
Successful results also include works registered in the international project 'The exploitation of marabu's biomass and other energy species as a fuel in the generation of electricity and environmental recovery in Camagüey'.
As a result of this initiative, the isolated community of La Veguera, in the Camagüey municipality of Guaimaro, was electrified by the installation of a gasification bioelectric plant, which in its first stage uses the marabu to generate about 647kw/h daily.
In Cuba, specialists evaluated, one of the main unsatisfied demands for energy is the assurance of a quality electric service to houses not connected to the network.
Although the level of electrification amounts to 97.85 percent, there are more than 82,000 homes without connection to the National Electroenergetic System (SEN) and about 42,000 have no electricity service, hence the importance of finding solutions through alternative sources.