Current Trends in Cuba on the Environmental Impact and Sustainable Development

Current Trends in Cuba on the Environmental Impact and Sustainable Development

Yanán Camaraza-Medina 

Technical Sciences Faculty, Universidad de Matanzas, 44440, Cuba

Corresponding Author Email: 
ycamaraza1980@yahoo.com
Page: 
103-108
|
DOI: 
https://doi.org/10.18280/ti-ijes.640116
Received: 
13 November 2019
| |
Accepted: 
30 December 2019
| | Citation

OPEN ACCESS

Abstract: 

This technical note shows a summary of the current trends in Cuba on the environmental impact and sustainable development in the last five years. In this study, the country is sectioned in four regions, taking into account socioeconomic characteristics and similitude in conditions of development. In this paper, several elements are analyzed that have influence directly to the environmental impact, as, emissions of gases greenhouse effect, generation of electric power, water consumption, analysis of the air quality, implementation of renewable sources of energy, investments to mitigate the environmental impact, among others. The data set used in this material, was obtained from the report provided by the National Office of Statistic of the Cuba (ONEI). In this study is omitted the special municipality Isla de la Juventud.

Keywords: 

environmental impact, current trends in Cuba, gas emissions

1. Introduction

Cuba is a developing country, than even as the rest of the world receives the effects of the globalization and climatic change. At the present time, in Cuba it is worked up for the benefit of the sustainable development, guided to the reduction of gases of greenhouse effect, to the protection of waters and natural resources and to the proliferation of the use of the renewable sources of energy. For the purpose, the Cuban government has authorized the investment of over 2310 million of Cuban’s pesos (MCP) in the last five years for works of environmental protection and mitigation [1].

Although previously studies were conducted on the use of electricity in Cuba, in none of these was considered the local effect of production, consumption and CO2 emissions associated with it, (not including the adjacent keys). The production of electricity on the island of Cuba is highly dependent on fossil fuels. The fall of the socialistic block produced a severe crisis in the energy carriers in the country, since the main source of import of energy carriers was the Soviet Union [2].

In 2006, Cuba began a management of energy resuscitation, known as the "energy revolution". One of the elements associated with it is the entry into operation of power generation plants based on several units of low power generators, known in the country as an emerging generation.

In the last five years, the reanimation of the national economy has generated a sharp increase in electricity consumption; however, the national energy infrastructure has not been perfected. The degree of recapitalizations of the existing power plants has required that the emerging generation has been in charge of covering the new electricity requirements.

The Cuban state has undertaken the task of encouraging the use of renewable energy sources; however, the increase in generation with these sources does not compete with the rise in energy carrier needs [3].

The Cuban state has planned an investment that will allow the installation of 1650 MW of power based in renewable energy, (solar, wind and biomass), which represents 24 percent of the national energy matrix. of these, 875 MW correspond to 25 Biomass Power Plant (CEB) projects.

Recently, it was established law 124/2017, for the sake of protecting the subterranean and superficial waters; besides, there are several research projects and sustainable development, as they are, life, live coasts and energy efficiency.

In this technical note, is provided a brief overview of the state of generation and consumption of electricity in Cuba in the last five years. The study provides a focalization of each of the carriers for each of the country's fundamental regions. A relevant element to date does not have a similar material on the energy situation, the environmental impact and sustainable development in the country and the future prospects of this issue.

Additionally, several elements are analyzed that have influence directly to the environmental impact, as, emissions of gases greenhouse effect, generation of electric power, water consumption, analysis of the air quality, implementation of renewable sources of energy, investments to mitigate the environmental impact, among others.

2. Methods and Validation

2.1 Brief description of the object of study

The island of Cuba is made up of three fundamental regions, the occident, centre and orient. The Cuban capital (Havana) is considered in the present study as a fourth region, taking into account the conditions of very high population density that it presents. Figure 1 provides in detail the location of each of the provinces that make up the island of Cuba, in Table 1 the provinces that make up each region are detailed, while, in the Table 2 is given a summary of the demographics’ distribution in Cuba for each region of study [4].

Figure 1. Location of the regional divisions of Cuba

Table 1. Location of the regional divisions of Cuba

Region

Province members

Occident

Pinar del Rio, Mayabeque+Artemisa and Matanzas

Centre

Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Santi Spiritus, Ciego de Avila and Camaguey

Orient

Las Tunas, Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Holguín and Guantánamo

Habana

La Habana

 

Table 2. Demographics distribution in Cuba for region

Region

Inhabitants

Surface (km2)

Populousness

(inh/km2)

Occident

2270520

28747

79

Centre

2870880

38739

74.1

Orient

3950830

36245

109

Habana

2256650

751

3004.9

Cuba

11348880

104482

108.6

 

2.2 Analysis of the consumption of electricity and water in Cuba

In the last five years, the consumption of electricity has experienced an increasing tendency in Cuba, this is fundamentally, for the incorporation thousands of new clients to the National Electro Energetic Systems (SEN) that recently have been benefited with the national programs of electrification, and the majority is located in orient zone. In the Table 3 show a summary of the electricity consumption in the analyzed period (in GWh/year) for each region of study, while in the Table 4 is given the average consumption by inhabitants (in kWh/year).

The water consumption in Cuba is regulated according to the standard NC-973-2013. The global crisis of water has exerted its impact on Cuba, for this reason, at this moment exist a total of 24 plants in operation to make sea water drinkable, (fundamentally in the orient zone), with a processing capability of 0.05 m3/s each. The application of the law 124/2017 has established a control mechanism on the water use, for such motive the water consumption in the year 2018 is reduced with respect to the tendency to the consumption shown in prior years. In the Table 5 is given the global consumption of water in Cuba (in millions of m3) for each region in the studied period, while, in the Table 6 is given the average consumption (in m3 per inhabitants) in each region. The data given in the tables 5 and 6, correspond to the global consumption of water, that is than include activities on industrial purpose, agriculture and human consumption. In the Table 7 is proportionate a global summary of the water consumption in Cuba by each activity in the studied period 

Table 3. Summary of the electricity consumption in the analyzed period, (in GWh/year)

Region

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Occident

4043

4095

4148

4212

4284

Centre

4405

4447

4489

4532

4542

Orient

4250

4349

4450

4482

4511

Habana

4117

4185

4254

4440

4490

Cuba

16815

17076

17341

17666

17827

 

Table 4. Summary of the electricity average consumption by inhabitants in the analyzed period (in kWh/year)

Region

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Occident

1780.6

1803.6

1826.9

1855.1

1886.8

Centre

1534.4

1549

1563.6

1578.6

1582.1

Orient

1075.7

1100.8

1126.3

1134.4

1141.8

Habana

1824.4

1854.5

1885.1

1967.5

1989.7

Cuba

1481.6

1504.6

1528

1556.6

1570.8

 

Table 5. Summary of the global consumption of water in the analyzed period (in millions of m3/year)

Region

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Occident

1430

1441

1468

1494

1407

Centre

1768

1781

1792

1808

1741

Orient

2538

2575

2598

2618

2458

Habana

1444

1489

1552

1555

1412

Cuba

7180

7286

7410

7475

7018

 

Table 6. Summary of the water average consumption by inhabitants in the analyzed period (in m3/year)

Region

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Occident

629.9

634.6

646.7

658.2

619.9

Centre

615.7

620.3

624.3

629.9

606.5

Orient

642.3

651.8

657.5

662.6

622.2

Habana

639.8

660

687.7

689.1

625.8

Cuba

631.9

641.7

654.1

660

618.6

 

Table 7. Summary of water removal by destinations

Destiny

Water consumption

(in millions of m3/year)

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Gross freshwater extraction

7567

7919

7805

8024

7348

Water returned without using

387

633

395

549

348

Net freshwater withdrawal

7180

7286

7410

7475

7000

By industry water supply

1956

2627

2151

1773

1915

By other users

5224

4659

5259

5702

5085

 

Superficial freshwater extraction

4606

4573

4665

4558

4271

By industry water supply

793

1461

1006

567

830

By other users

3813

3112

3609

3991

3441

 

Groundwater extraction

2574

2713

2795

2917

2729

By industry water supply

1163

1166

1145

1206

1085

By other users

1411

1547

1650

1711

1644

 

2.3 Analysis of the generation of electricity in Cuba

In Cuba, the electricity generation is distributed throughout the country, although, the occident zone is the biggest producer of generation volume (approximately 40% of the total), however, it turns out to be the one with the lowest energy consumption.

The main sources of electricity generation in Cuba are:

1- Fuel Power Plants (FPP)

2- Energas Power Plant (GPP)

3- Fuel emerging generation (FEG)

4- Diesel emerging generation (DEG)

5- Biomass (B)

6- Renewable energy (RE)

Power plants are of two types, the first use liquid fuel and are based on the Rankine cycle, currently in the country there are 10 units, while the second type using gas turbines for the generation of electric power, currently have two units, one in Mayabeque and one in Matanzas.

The distributed generation considers the sites in which one or more generators with individual powers up to 1.5 MW are located, which consume fuel oil or diesel.

The main source of electricity generation in Cuba with biomass is the sugar industry, while the renewable sources used are three fundamental types, solar photovoltaic, wind and hydraulic [5, 6].

The consumption of electric energy in Cuba has shown a clear rise in recent years, a graphic representation of the consumption of the last four years is provided in Figure 2, and it can be found that it follows a linear growing trend [7, 8].

Figure 2. Growth of annual energy consumption in Cuba

This increase in electricity generation produces a clear increase in CO2 emissions. Figure 3 shows the growth of emissions associated with the generation of electricity in Cuba [9, 10].

Figure 3. Growth of CO2 emissions due to the generation of electricity in Cuba

Figure 4. Percentage of participation in the electricity matrix in Cuba

Figure 5. Percentage of participation of power plants in the electric matrix in Cuba

Figure 6. Percentage of participation of the emerging generation in the electricity matrix in Cuba

Figure 7. Percentage of participation of the renewable energy n the electricity matrix in Cuba

Figure 8. Consumption and the average generation per inhabitant in Habana

Figure 9. Consumption and the average generation per inhabitant in Occident

Figure 10. Consumption and the average generation per inhabitant in Centre

The individual participation of each generation source in the production of electricity in Cuba is given in Figures 4 to 9. In each of them, the percentage value represented by each individual source of the total generation delivered in the last 4 years is detailed. The accelerated growth of the presence in the energy matrix of the emerging generation can be verified.

In Cuba, consumption and electricity generation are not distributed equally in each of the regions. When establishing the average energy demand per inhabitant, it is found that in Havana, it turns out to be almost twice as high as in the Orient. In the case of generation, the Occident zone is the one that provides the highest average per customer; however, it turns out to be the second lowest consumption. In Figures 8 to 11 consumption and the average generation per inhabitant are plotted for each of the regions of Cuba.

In order to apply the given correlations in the Figures 10 to 11, the variable x refers to the year to analyze, taking the year 2015 as year 1.

Figure 11. Consumption and the average generation per inhabitant in Orient

3. Brief Analysis of The Environmental Current State of Cuba

3.1 Summary of the main actions of mitigation executed in Cuba

At the present time, in Cuba it is worked up for the benefit of the sustainable development, guided to the reduction of gases of greenhouse effect, to the protection of waters and natural resources and to the proliferation of the use of the renewable sources of energy. For the purpose, the Cuban government has authorized the investment of over 2310 million of Cuban’s pesos (110 million USD) in the last five years for works of environmental protection and mitigation. In the Table 8 is given in more details of this investment for environmental protection in Cuba [11].

Table 8. Expenses for environmental protection in Cuba, (in MCP)

Environmental sector

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Waters

226.4

239.4

243.9

245.7

258.4

Soils

17.5

18.1

18.5

23.6

32.2

Atmosphere

49.9

56.6

61.1

64.7

67.6

Forest resources

65.5

74.7

77.4

122.1

126.6

Solid resources

20.8

13.8

12.4

10.4

24.7

Others

24.7

26

22

3.5

64.6

Total

404.8

428.6

435.3

470

574.1

 

In the Table 9 are given the expenses for water protection by provinces, in MCP.

Correlating the average cost of water protection and its average consumption, it is obtained that the best fit is given by an exponential function, with an approximation coefficient (R2=0,953), being described by [12, 13]:

$G_{\text {Usoagua}}=0,145 \cdot e^{0,0596\left(W_{R}\right)}$ (1)

In the Eq. (1), $G_{\text {Usoagua }}$ is the financial expense associated to the mitigation of the environmental impact, in $/m3 and WR is the yearly consumption of water, in m3.

Table 9. Expenses for water protection by province

Province

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Pinar del Río

9.3

9.4

8.7

10.3

15.8

Artemisa

1.1

0.8

3.4

2.1

16.6

La Habana

49.2

49.4

47.2

53.3

66.5

Mayabeque

1.2

0.2

0.6

0.8

5.7

Matanzas

15.5

14.7

65.6

47.5

15.6

Villa Clara

15.1

16.2

8.2

13.4

29.3

Cienfuegos

3.1

6.5

6.2

4.9

6.9

Santi Spíritus

5

10.8

6.8

6.4

5.4

Ciego de Ávila

4.2

6.1

7.6

9.2

9.5

Camagüey

8.1

7.9

7.8

9.6

9.7

Las Tunas

4

10.7

8.7

7.3

5

Holguín

40.4

35.4

40.3

34.3

30.8

Granma

11.3

13.6

15.5

17.5

10.6

Santiago de Cuba

48.3

47.6

8.4

18.8

18.4

Guantánamo

9.8

10

8.8

10.1

11.1

Total

226.4

239.4

240.9

245.7

258.4

 

The uses of Eq. (1) allows verifying that the average cost of mitigation required by each m3 of water round the intervals given in the bibliographic analysis [5], however, due to the critical state of some local basins. the values determined with Eq. (1) can provide to be a 60 percent smaller than the real value.

In the Table 8 can check that nearly to 13 percent of the investment expenses for protection to the environment in the five year period 2013-2018 were dedicated to the atmosphere. For this reason, in the Table 10 is offers a summary of the main emissions of contaminating gases in the country in said period. according to the reports of ONEI [3].

Table 10. Summary of the main emissions of contaminating gases in Cuba, (in Gg)

Year

CO2

CH4

N2O

NOX

CO

SO2

2013

27973.8

354.8

11.7

97.1

546.4

462.7

2014

26586.1

365.8

11.1

96.8

602.8

513.6

2015

24892.9

398.4

9.8

84.3

502.2

614.5

2016

24233.8

400.4

7.3

82.9

494.7

665.8

2017

26532.4

103.7

8.5

104.9

450.8

780.3

2018

30060.9

372.9

8.2

97.7

370.5

835.6

 

The correlation of the expenses for the concept of protection to the atmosphere with the estimated emissions in 2018 allows us to establish with an approximation coefficient (R2 = 0.987) an expression for the determination of expenses based on greenhouse gas emissions, this expression is given by [5]:

$G_{E m i s}=3,911 \cdot A \cdot e^{0,226 B} \quad(\mathrm{MCP})$   (2)

where,

$A=\operatorname{Ln}\left(\left(C O_{2}\right)^{0,1} \cdot S O_{2}\right)^{0,1}+0,252$  (3)

$B=\log \left[\frac{\left(C H_{4} \cdot N O_{X} \cdot(C O)^{0,04}-\left(S O_{2}\right)^{2}\right)^{2}}{N_{2} O}\right]$ (4)

In Eqns. (3) and (4), the volumes of polluting gases are given in Gg.

4. Conclusions

In the last five years, in Cuba there is a clear tendency to increase the presence of the emerging generation within the national energy matrix. An unequal distribution of energy carriers between the different regions of the country was shown, being established that Habana consumes almost twice the average energy carriers per inhabitant than the rest of the country, and accompanied by a low rate of electricity generation.

In this paper, several elements are analyzed that have influence directly to the environmental impact, as, emissions of gases greenhouse effect, generation of electric power, water consumption, analysis of the air quality, implementation of renewable sources of energy, investments to mitigate the environmental impact

The application of the law 124/2017 has established a control mechanism on the water use, for such motive the water consumption in the year 2018 is reduced with respect to the tendency to the consumption shown in prior years.

Two expressions of calculation were developed for the analysis of the costs of mitigation by emissions of the greenhouse effect gases, as well as for the water uses.

  References

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[10] Camaraza-Medina, Y., Hernández-Guerrero, A., Luviano-Ortiz, J.L., Cruz-Fonticiella, O.M., García-Morales, O.F. (2018). Metodología para la evaluación de plantas de potencia que operan con sistemas de condensación secos. Centro Azúcar, 45(4): 150-162.

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