A conference on advancements in geological studies in Cuba during 2025 will be held on the final day of the 11th Earth Sciences Convention, which gathers researchers from several countries.
Havana, Cuba.- The Convention, held every two years, opened last Tuesday. Several traditional conferences were held: the XVI Geology Congress, the XIII Geophysics Congress, the XII Mining Congress, the X Oil and Gas Congress, and the XV Informatics and Geosciences Congress.
During the opening ceremony, Ramsés Montes, Director of National Energy Policy and Strategy of the Cuban Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM), exposed the Cuban energy transition project toward renewable sources.
Montes addressed aspects of Cuba´s current energy situation and its strategic solutions in the short, medium, and long term. He emphasized that the essence of this transition is to achieve, with the participation of the entire society, a rapid transformation to guarantee sufficiency, sovereignty, and security of the energy supply required for the country’s sustainable development at the lowest possible cost and with a positive environmental impact.
The specialist explained that currently, only four percent of Cuba’s electricity is generated with renewable energy sources (RES), and the goal is to achieve 17% RES generation by next year, 24% by 2030, and electrical independence by mid-century, with a 100 percent shift in the energy matrix.
Enrique Castellanos, Director of Geology at the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) will sponsor the conference on the last day of the forum. There he will showcase research in mineralogy, geochemistry, petrology, tectonics, prospecting for mineral deposits, and geological heritage, among other aspects.
The final day’s academic program includes another lecture on the current state of oil and gas exploration and production, led by Osvaldo López of the Cuban Petroleum Directorate (CUPET) of the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM).
The delegates have had the opportunity to attend field trips to Cuban geological sites, workshops, and symposia on current topics such as 3D applications, artificial intelligence, critical minerals for the energy transition, and the environmental impacts of mining, among other activities. (PL)
