HAVANA.- (ACN) Crews from the Ministry of Construction (MICONS) of Cuba started building 59 solar power plants throughout the country, according to sources from that entity.

Jesus Lacera, executive secretary of the Project Front (group in charge of engineering and research on investment of the Ministry), announced in Havana that 33 of said plants will be fully operational by the end of 2017.

Another official, Otmara Rivero, said they will be working on several projects, and that will include the laying of foundations, building control units, water and sanitation systems, among others.

The first 33 plants will contribute 59 megawatts to the Cuban National Grid, the equivalent of half the output of a conventional fuel-burning power plant.

These plants will allow using solar energy efficiently; one of the most promising renewable sources of energy for Cuba, as part of the strategy of reducing dependency of oil to cover electricity needs.

Today only 4 percent of the energy Cuba needs is produced using renewable sources, but there are plans to change that figure into 24 percent by 2030.