1Wilson to head UK's first greenenergy deal with Cuba

Wilson to head UK's first green energy deal with Cuba

Published Date: 17 January 2011

By Victoria Thomson

SEVERAL Scots are at the forefront of the UK's first major renewable energy partnership with

Cuba, it has emerged.

Former energy minister Brian Wilson is chairing a company that has struck a $250 million

(158m) agreement with a venture linked to Cuba's ministry of sugar that will see biomass

generation plants built next to sugar mills in the communist country.

UK-headquartered Havana Energy, part of the Esencia Group of companies, also has Scots-

born Andrew Macdonald as its chief executive while scientists from the Scottish Agricultural

College, Edinburgh Napier University and the University of Strathclyde have also been involved

in the project.

Havana Energy has struck a deal with Zerus, a firm backed by the Cuban state, to develop a 30-

megawatt biomass plant at the Ciro Redondo sugar mill, some 400 kilometres from Havana.

Four similar projects are due to follow.

The intention is for the schemes to be rolled into a joint venture company.

Commenting on the deal, Wilson said: "Having tried for more than a decade to promote closer

economic links between the UK and Cuba, I am delighted to be involved in a project that

demonstrates the benefits of such co-operation.

"Cuba has an excellent record both in providing electricity for its people and promoting

environmental sustainability. This project will support both objectives. I have the highest

regard for the abilities and objectives of our Cuban colleagues."

Cuba's sugar ministry and the country's national electricity board are seeking to increase

power generation at all operating sugar mills to decentralise the grid, and provide power

generation in areas which currently have weaker supply.

2Sunday Times (newspaper article)It's Cuba libre, as Scots enroll inthe Havana club

12 NEWS

JasonAllardyce

THE toll of the secondworld

war onWinston Churchills

health has been laid bare for

the first time in notes

compiled by the former

primeministers physician.

The previously

confidential records reveal a

leader whose work

deteriorated and whose

character suffered because

of years of stress that left

himwith an intolerance of

criticism and bad temper.

Churchills decline was

exacerbated because he

never nursed his physique

and failed to listen to

advice, according to Lord

Moran, his doctor for 25

years. His ravaged physical

andmental state appear

muchworse than had been

known until now.

Historians believe a fitter

Churchill might arguably

have been able to stand up to

Stalin and Roosevelt on the

future of Europe after the war

by keeping Poland free of

Soviet domination, for

example. A fitter manmight

also have had the strength to

win the 1945 general election

against Labour.

Morans handwritten

medical notes on Churchill

are being released under data

protection law after 60 years.

They follow the publication

of the physicians memoirs

in 1966, for whichMoran

was widely criticised.

It is known that Churchill

suffered amild heart attack

in December 1941 at the

White House and also in

December 1943 when he

contracted pneumonia.

However,Morans notes

cast fresh light on hismental

wellbeing after the battles to

convince the government of

the threat posed byHitler

and then five years of

wartime leadership.

One page is headed: The

Years of Stress. Observing

that Churchills work

suffers and his character

suffers, Moran asks the

question: Did his character

change or did war only

exaggerate [it]?

The doctor states: Work

begins [to] deteriorate. He

saw him as always wilful,

opinionated, undisciplined,

addingwith concern: When

home not working, he would

spend half the night talking,

smoking and drinking.

OnMay 17, 1945, Moran

writes: [Churchill] talked a

good deal, but kept losing

concentration so that there

was a long pause while he

apparently thought of

something else. Then he

would return to the subject

wewere discussing.

He looked very tired. He

toldme that he had hardly

ever worked so hard. He has

been keeping shocking hours

. . . going to bed at 3, 4 or 5am

. . . I told him hewas racing

the engine and that couldnt

go on.

Moran also recorded

Churchills irritationwith

other leaders, including

Charles de Gaulle, the French

general: The PM is a bad

hater, but in these days when

he is stretched taut certain

people seem to get on his

nerves. De Gaulle is one of

them. His cold austerity

chills him.

ThomasWeber, a second

worldwar historian at

Aberdeen University, said

Churchills deterioration

might well have affected

how he conducted the war in

its final stages and how he

furthered British interests.

For instance, saidWeber,

it raised the question

whether, with Britains

disastrouslyweak economic

state in 1945 and Roosevelt

very sick, a cold-blooded

Churchill in vigorous health

at Yaltamight have dealt

more effectively with Stalin.

Aman less exhausted and

less irritatedmight less easily

be deluded by Stalin, he said.

A TEAM of Scots is at the heart

of one of Britains biggest trade

dealswith Cuba after spotting a

way to convertweeds and sugar

cane into green fuel.

Havana Energy, a British

firm chaired by Brian Wilson,

the former energy and Scotland

Office minister, is one of the

first companies to benefit from

the communist state opening

up to overseas investment.

Its 160m joint venture with

the Cuban government is

Britains first big energy deal

there and could lead to biomass

joining white rum, cigars and

salsa on Cubas list of exports.

The partnership will create a

network of power plants

meeting up to 40% of the

islands energy needs by

utilising a by-product from the

countrys sugar mills and,

potentially, marabu, a thorny

bush which is spreading over

agricultural land.

Raul Castro, who succeeded

his brother Fidel as Cuban

president, is now actively

encouraging the growth of

private enterprises on the

Caribbean island, where US

trade restrictions have applied

since 1960, post-revolution.

The company struck the deal

after academics from the

Scottish Agricultural College

and Napier and Strathclyde

universities travelled to Cuba.

They agreed that bagasse, a

fibrous residue left behind

when sugar mills crush cane to

extract sweet juice, would

make an excellent energy

source and confirmed that

turning marabu into a renew-

able energy crop would give

Cubans a reliable power source,

help clear land for farming and

provide a useful export.

Wilson said: Having tried

for more than a decade to

promote closer economic links

between the UK and Cuba, I am

delighted to be involved.

Cuba has an excellent

record both in providing

electricity for its people and

promoting environmental

sustainability. This project will

support both objectives.

The involvement of Scottish

crop scientists has added a

whole new dimension to the

project. I hope it can be the

start of a relationship which

will allow Scottish expertise,

which is world-leading in this

field, to be applied in Cuba.

Havana Energy is part of

Esencia a British company

also developing luxury golf

resorts in Cuba in association

with Sir Terence Conran and

headed by Andrew Macdonald

of Boisdale.

Macdonald, whose father is

chief of Clanranald, said: Our

Cuban colleagues have a deep

understanding of the renew-

able sector. This is a very

exciting project in all senses:

more electricity, more sugar,

more sugar by-products and all

using renewable resources.

Scotland has long enjoyed

strong links with Cuba, which

has been called the Hebrides of

the Caribbean.

The Scottish parliament has

an all-party group devoted to

promoting links between the

two countries while Glasgow

has been twinnedwith Havana

since 2002.

DalyaAlberge

Havana; right, Raul Castro; above, Fidel Castro with

Brian Wilson of Havana Energy; top left, Terence Conran

It's Cuba libre, as Scots

enroll in the Havana club

The war was

Winstons

unfittest hour

3City Am UK and Cuba in renewable energy deal

City Am UK and Cuba in renewable energy deal Monday, 17th January 2011 ENERGY

HAVANA Energy has signed the UKs first renewable energy partnership with Cuba, committing 250m to a joint venture with Cuban company Zerus to develop biomass power plants in the country.

The power plants are part of the Cuban governments efforts to promote renewable energy production, and will be built 400 miles outside of Havana close to the areas sugar mills.

The strategic partnership will decentralise Cubas grid, and improve power generation in areas of the country where supply can be weak.

Havana Energy chairman Brian Wilson is a former UK energy minister, who said that he had been involved in boosting economic links between the UK and Cuba for more than a decade. Cuba has an excellent record both in providing electricity for its people and promoting environmental sustainability, he said in a statement. This project will support both objectives.

The companies expect the capital investment for the pilot plant, which will be the first stage of the project, to return an investment within five years.

4BBC Scotland Business Jan 17 UK firm signs Cuban renewable energy deal

BBC Scotland Business Jan 17

UK firm signs Cuban renewable energy deal

The deal involves using sugar cane

bagasse for power generation

Continue reading the main story

Related stories

Generating power from sugar cane fibre and wild shrubs is at the heart of a

pioneering link between a British company and the Cuban government.

Havana Energy, chaired by former Labour government minister Brian

Wilson, plans to develop the technology to build biomass energy plants in

the country.

The deal, with state-owned Zerus, comes as the country trials ways of

working with private firms, after decades of running its economy through

the state.

It is being valued at $250m (157m).

The investment is being hailed as the first major renewable energy contract

signed between Cuba and a British company.

It would see a pilot project at the Ciro Redondo sugar mill, 250 miles south-

east of Havana, with a second stage of four further biomass plants at other

mills, each of 32mw capacity.

A return on the investment is expected within five years.

According to Havana Energy, the country already produces 7% of its energy

needs from renewable sources.

But there is potential for far more, particularly from using the the sugar

cane plant.

As much as 50% of the country's energy needs - or 3000mw- could be

provided by the burning of bagasse, the fibre left over after sugar cane is

crushed at 56 sugar refineries in Cuba reckoned to have biomass potential.

In addition, about one million hectares of land on the island has been

invaded by the marabu shrub, which is now being tested for its potential as

an energy source in biomass burning.

The strategic agreement follows a visit in November 2010 by academics

from Scotland, looking at ways in which they can help develop the country's

renewable energy potential.

One of those who took part, Professor Martin Tangney, director of the

Biofuel Research Centre at Edinburgh Napier University, commented on the

sugar mill biomass plants plans.

He said: "It is an ideal process and one of the most efficient sources of

renewable energy in the world.

"The next stage should be incorporating biofuels from the other waste

products from the sugar cane."

'Excellent record'

Brian Wilson, who was minister for energy, trade and Scotland as well as an

Ayrshire MP, said: "Having tried for more than a decade to promote closer

economic links between the UK and Cuba, I am delighted to be involved in a

project that demonstrates the benefits of such co-operation.

"Cuba has an excellent record both in providing electricity for its people and

promoting environmental sustainability. This project will support both

objectives".

Nelson Labrada, the Cuban government's vice-minister of sugar, said: "This

strategy of using sugar cane bagasse for power generation avoids one of

the primary problems with other biomass sources which is supply.

"In Cuba it is possible via the sugar mills and bagasse based power plants

to generate up to 40% of the energy needs of the country today."

Havana Energy is a subsidiary of Esencia, a British company focused on

trade with Cuba, which also works in the tourism sector.

5Joint UK-Cuban venture to build power plants

Joint UK-Cuban venture to build power plants

By Sarah Mishkin Published: January 16 2011 23:33 | Last updated: January 16 2011 23:33

A UK and Cuban joint venture will invest $250m in building a biomass power plant near Havana, in one of the largest renewable energy partnerships between the two nations.

Havana Energy, a UK group chaired by former UK energy minister Brian Wilson, will form a joint venture with Zerus SA, a state-owned company in Cubas Ministry of Sugar, to build up to five power plants fuelled by bagasse, the residue that remains after sugar cane processing.

A pilot plant will be built at Ciro Redondo Sugar Mill, a 100-year old plant on government-owned land about 400km outside Havana. The venture will build four more plants in the projects second stage.

It is possible via the sugar mills and bagasse-based power plants to generate up to 40 per cent of the energy needs of the country today, said Nelson Labrada, Cubas vice-minister of sugar, in a statement.

According to Havana Energy, 7 per cent of Cubas energy need are currently provided by renewable energy sources, and the company has identified 56 sugar refineries in the country suitable for biomass power generation.

The UK group will invest $250m in the project, and its Cuban partner will contribute in-kind contributions including land and sugar cane, said Mr Wilson. The group expects that the pilot plant, set to cost $50m, will provide a return on its investment within five years.

[Cubans] are very heavily dependent on oil imports, which doesnt make a lot of sense when they have massive resources that are underutilised, he said. They know that, and they know the need to do this for economic and environmental reasons.

The memorandum of understanding between Zerus SA and the UK group was signed shortly before Christmas, and construction on the first plant will start this year. The company described the deal as the first major renewable energy partnership between Cuba and the UK.

Havana Energy is part of the Escensia group, a UK company that works in the Cuban tourism, trade and energy sectors. The company has also partnered with Cuban government ministries to develop hydro-electric generators and wind farms.

6Business Green - UK onlineUK firm signs sweet deal with Cuban sugar producers

Business Green _ UK online

UK firm signs sweet deal with Cuban

sugar producers

Havana Energy invests $250m to develop series of plants generating

energy from sugar cane residue

By BusinessGreen staff

17 Jan 2011

A British company has signed a landmark $250 million (157m) deal with the Cuban

government to produce power from the waste products of the nation's numerous sugar

mills.

Havana Energy, chaired by former energy minister Brian Wilson, plans to develop a

pilot 30MW power plant at Ciro Redondo sugar mill, about 400km from Havana, in a

joint venture with Zerus SA, a company linked to the Cuban Ministry of Sugar.

FURTHER READING

The companies expect deliver a return on the initial investment within five years and in

the longer term will investigate the potential for four further 32MW plants across the

island nation.

"Cuba has an excellent record both in providing electricity for its people and promoting

environmental sustainability," Wilson said. "This project will support both objectives."

Cuba aims to bolster its renewable energy output significantly from its current level of

around seven per cent and the government believes sugar bagasse, the fibrous residual

left after cane crushing, could meet up to 40 per cent of its energy needs while avoiding

the supply issues presented by fossil fuel imports.

The National Electricity Board is also looking to boost the generation capabilities of all

its sugar mills as part of its strategy to decentralise the grid and improve power access

in rural areas.

In addition, the government is examining other potential feedstocks, in particular a

brushy shrub called Marabu, which has invaded over a million hectares of land in Cuba

but was identified as a possible source of energy by a party of Scottish academics who

visited in November.

Julian Bell from the Scottish Agricultural College, who was one of the party, said: "The

intended model of bagasse to produce electricity in Ciro Redondo makes total sense and

[is] even better if the brushy wood Marabu can be utilised, therefore also converting

more land to agricultural use."

7IB Times UK Green Investing UK firm signs Cuban biomass energy deal

IB Times UK Green Investing

UK firm signs Cuban biomass energy deal

17 January 2011, 14:58 BST

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British company Havana Energy has signed a deal with a company linked with the Cuban Ministry of Sugar to develop biomass generation plants in the country.

UK firm signs Cuban biomass energy deal

The new agreement, with the state-owned company Zerus, will focus on the construction of such facilities near sugar mills, with the first stage involving the development of a 30MW power plant near the Ciro Redondo Sugar Mill, which is located around 40km from Havana.

Currently, Cuba generates around seven percent of its power from renewable sources, however Nelson Labrada, vice-minister of sugar, said: "It is possible via the sugar mills and bagasse-based power plants to generate up to 40 percent of the energy needs of the country today".

The signing of the deal follows a visit by Scottish academics to the country in November, supported by Havana Energy and the SDTI, which looked at the development of renewable energy crops.

Mr Labrada added: "This strategy of using sugarcane bagasse for power generation avoids one of the primary problems with other biomass sources which is supply."

Havana Energy is also involved in the development of small-scale hydro energy and wind power in Cuba.

Source: Low Carbon Economy

8The Irish RepbublicanUK firm signs Cuban renewable energy deal

The Irish Repbublican ( Socialist paper )

1.

2. UK firm signs Cuban renewable energy deal

Generating power from sugar cane fibre and wild shrubs is at the heart of a pioneering link between a British company and the Cuban government.

Havana Energy, chaired by former Labour government minister Brian Wilson, plans to develop the technology to build biomass energy plants in the country.

The deal, with state-owned Zerus, comes as the country trials ways of working with

private firms, after decades of running its economy through the state.

It is being valued at $250m (157m).

The investment is being hailed as the first major renewable energy contract signed between

Cuba and a British company.

It would see a pilot project at the Ciro Redondo sugar mill, 250 miles south-east of Havana,

with a second stage of four further biomass plants at other mills, each of 32mw capacity.

A return on the investment is expected within five years.

According to Havana Energy, the country already produces 7% of its energy needs from renewable sources.

But there is potential for far more, particularly from using the the sugar cane plant.

Academic visit

As much as 50% of the country's energy needs - or 3000mw- could be provided by the burning

of bagasse, the fibre left over after sugar cane is crushed at 56 sugar refineries in Cuba reckoned to have biomass potential.

In addition, about one million hectares of land on the island has been invaded by the marabu

shrub, which is now being tested for its potential as an energy source in biomass burning.

The strategic agreement follows a visit in November 2010 by academics from Scotland, looking

at ways in which they can help develop the country's renewable energy potential.

One of those who took part, Professor Martin Tangney, director of the Biofuel Research Centre at Edinburgh Napier University, commented on the sugar mill biomass plants plans.

He said: "It is an ideal process and one of the most efficient sources of renewable energy in the world.

"The next stage should be incorporating biofuels from the other waste products from the sugar

cane."

'Excellent record'

Brian Wilson, who was minister for energy, trade and Scotland as well as an Ayrshire MP, said:

"Having tried for more than a decade to promote closer economic links between the UK and Cuba, I am delighted to be involved in a project that demonstrates the benefits of such co-

operation.

"Cuba has an excellent record both in providing electricity for its people and promoting

environmental sustainability. This project will support both objectives".

Nelson Labrada, the Cuban government's vice-minister of sugar, said: "This strategy of using

sugar cane bagasse for power generation avoids one of the primary problems with other biomass sources which is supply.

"In Cuba it is possible via the sugar mills and bagasse based power plants to generate up to 40% of the energy needs of the country today."

Havana Energy is a subsidiary of Esencia, a British company focused on trade with Cuba, which

also works in the tourism sector.

9British group signs biomass energy deal

British group signs biomass energy deal

Havana Energy Ltd., the subsidiary of a British company that came to Cuba seven years ago to

build golf course communities and hotels in Cuba, signed agreements to invest in biomass

electricity projects on the island.

The company agreed to form a joint venture with Zerus S.A., a state company controlled by the

Sugar Ministry, to set up and operate a 30-mw power plant next to the Ciro Redondo sugar mill

in central Ciego de vila province. This pilot project could be followed by four additional

sugarcane bagasse-fueled power plants throughout the island.

Ciro Redondo sugar mill Photo: Bohemia

The company is part of the Esencia Group, a venture started by Scottish entrepreneur Andrew

Macdonald to develop golf course and marina condominium projects in Cuba. Havana Energy is

chaired by Brian Wilson, a former UK energy minister.

Having tried for more than a decade to promote closer economic links between the UK and

Cuba, I am delighted to be involved in a project that demonstrates the benefits of such co-

operation, Wilson said in a press release. Cuba has an excellent record both in providing

electricity for its people and promoting environmental sustainability. This project will support

both objectives.

The company expects a return of investments within five years.

Seven percent of Cubas electricity is generated with renewable energy, by far most of that with

co-generation biomass plants that use bagasse the remains of sugarcane after it is crushed

at or near sugar mills. The government, eager to increase the share of renewable energy, is

developing the sugar mill power projects in order to continue the decentralization of the grid and

cover areas with weaker supply. According to Deputy Sugar Minister Nelson Labrada, Cuba

could cover 40 percent of its electricity needs with bagasse.

The partners are also looking at using Marabu, a weed that has infested fallow land in Cuba, as

a secondary biomass.

In another project, Havana Energy is in advanced studies to install a series of hydro turbines in

exisiting irrigation dams throughout the country.

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