Suárez-Hernández, Jesús, Sosa-Cáceres, Roberto, Martínez-Labrada, Yeney, Curbelo-Alonso, Alfredo, Figueredo-Rodríguez, Tania, and Cepero-Casas, Luis
In Cuba a significant potential for biogas production and utilization is observed, based on the diversity and volume of contaminating residues generated by the agricultural and agri-food sectors; however, this potential is not accurately known yet to utilize such information in the decision-making processes that contribute to national bioenergy development. In that sense, the objective of the paper is to offer an evaluation of the biogas production and utilization potential in the country. To facilitate the evaluation, the study was divided by sectors (MINAG, MINAL, AzCUBA); within the animal husbandry sector, it was subdivided into poultry, pig (state and cooperative producers) and cattle, but only the productive activity directly linked to MINAG was taken into consideration. In the case of the industry sector (MINAL and AzCUBA), data were taken from the 12 most contaminant industries and from the alcohol distilleries, respectively. The daily potential of biogas production is 674 609 m³, in which the pig and poultry production stand out; this potential means an energy production of 1 477 394 MWh/year, equivalent to 132 856 t of diesel, whose import costs 48 615 065 USD Cuba according to the current prices. Likewise, if the intensity in CO2 of diesel is considered, the emissions prevented due to the substitution of this fossil fuel by biogas are estimated in 440 778 t CO2 eq/year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]