Cuba expands biofuel production to cope with energy shortage
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E-mail Xinhua, December 20, 2012
Cuba has opened its second biodiesel plant and plans to build three more to produce green fuel from inedible plants, the state-run TV reported Wednesday.
The new plant is now in trial run in the town of Cabaiguan in the central province of Sancti Spiritus, the report said, adding the authorities have planned to install three more in the western province of Matanzas.
Currently, there are on the island about 110 hectares of land cultivated with jatropha curcas, an oil-rich plant that will be used as the raw material to feed the plants.
The seeds of the shrub known as "milk nut," are rich in oil but toxic for human consumption, Jose Sotolongo, director of the Center for Applied Technology for Sustainable Development in the eastern province of Guantanamo, was quoted by Cuban television as saying. "It offers the additional advantage that its cultivation is feasible in areas of little or no agricultural value."
Jatropha curcas is considered a convenient alternative to edible plants, such as sunflower or soybeans, in the production of biofuels, the report said, adding this biofuel has been applied successfully in farm machinery.
Cuba installed with Swiss support its first biodiesel plant in the eastern province of Guantanamo last July.
The expansion of biodiesel is the latest attempt by the Cuban government to tap clean energy resources like wind, sunlight and biomass of sugarcane and woods.
Cuba meets about 50 percent of its energy needs with a domestic production of about 4 million tons of oil and accompanying gas a year, with the rest supplemented by imports from its major political and economic ally Venezuela.
The poor health condition of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and the possibility that he is unable to take office for his new six-year term has raised concerns that Cuba's fuel supply would be adversely affected.
The government's goal is to generate one-sixth of the domestically consumed electricity with renewable sources before the end of this decade. Endi
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