Ciego de Avila, January 17 (RHC)-- The first bioelectric plant in Cuba, located in areas of Ciro Redondo sugar mill, in Ciego de Avila Province, began on Friday its synchronization to the National Electroenergetic Grid.

According to a report on the national television newscast, the facility uses marabu biomass and has contributed 300 MW to the system in the last 24 hours.
 
Specialists from the joint venture BioPower S.A. and the Chinese company in charge of the investment told the press that this first test and verification synchronization would conclude Saturday at 11:00 p.m. local time.
 
When it is fully operational, this unit is expected to generate the equivalent of 50% of the energy needs of Ciego de Avila Province, Carmen Taboada,  the vice president of BioPower S.A., recently told Prensa Latina.

The plant will deliver all the electricity the Ciro Redondo sugar mill needs, and the rest will be fed into the national grid, saving the country some 100,000 barrels of oil a year, Taboada said.