NEW PERSPECTIVES IN THE PRODUCTION OF ELECTRICITY FROM BIOMASS: ITS SOCIAL IMPACT IN CUBA

Cuba is putting in place energy and hydrology safety policies in order to mitigate the effects of the current energy and drinking water world crisis. Several alternatives are being implemented aimed at reducing the impact of climate change and the shortage of drinking water, namely the use of renewable energy sources and biomass. The obvious insufficiency of water and the feasibility of using biomass as a suitable source of energy, are issues that support the use of air-cooled condensers (ACC) in biomass power plants (BPPs). The BPP project currently has 25 facilities that respond to the electrical power demand of 1,5 million people while protecting the access and the basic services related to water, which are necessitated by 485840 people. The initial investment cost is 1012 million USD; this represents an annual saving of 119.2 million by reducing diesel fuel imports as well as emissions to the environment. The plateau power consumption level is reduced by a 32% and 1500 new jobs are created in disadvantaged rural areas. This research aims to define the social impact linked to the technical and economic effects of ACC technology use in future BPPs.