Zaza River: Renewed energy and private partnerships to revive the dairy industry in Sancti Spíritus

The Río Zaza Dairy Products Company in Sancti Spíritus is at a critical juncture. The energy crisis and production constraints have forced the entity to devise a comprehensive strategy that combines shifting its energy mix with strategic alliances involving MSMEs and private-sector players.
The goal is clear: to restart factories, bring workers back, and ensure the supply of basic food products for the population, states the company’s director, Alberto Cañizares Rodríguez.
What does the energy mix shift being driven by the company entail?
We are currently replacing diesel-fired boilers with units that run on heavy fuel oil. A new boiler acquired this year is being installed at the Pasteurization Unit (UEB), and a similar switch is underway at the Mérida Unit in Yaguajay; operating on diesel is extremely difficult and costly these days, so that transformation is essential to getting the factory up and running.
Besides the boilers, what other measures are being taken?
The company is actively working on the upcoming installation of solar panels. In Trinidad, the “El Valle” Unit is set to begin installation—a project that has already been deemed economically feasible and has received a license from ONURE. We expect Trinidad to be operating with this new energy mix very soon, a shift that even includes disconnecting from the National Electric Grid.