Cienfuegos.- The reactivation of the Camilo Cienfuegos Refinery, scheduled for this Friday December 21 by the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez Frias, in the framework of the IV Petrocaribe Summit, will constitute a milestone in the energy history of the world and will promote endogenous developments in this city.

These were the words of the refinery´s general manager sent by Venezuela, Luis Gomez Gil, regarding the reactivation of this complex.

The re-inauguration of this plant is one of the very important ceremonies for the process of consolidation of economic and friendship relations between Cuba and Venezuela.

Gomez Gil highlighted the benefits that the refinery´s first reactivation stage will bring to communities in the area.
 
In this sense, he pointed out that the activation of the plant, which was shut down for 12 years, will promote important contributions such as endogenous development projects and social plans.

'There are also projects on the works that range from improving thoroughfares to drawing plans to build the highway that will connect the refinery with the Aguada de  Pasajeros town”, explained Venezuela´s representative.

On October 14, Chavez informed that the inauguration of the crude refining plant, modernized by the companies Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. PDVSA and Cubapetroleo CUPET, represents the start of a megaproject centered in a petrochemical complex.

The Venezuelan President gave these remarks during his visit to the refinery. This refinery is located in this city 250 kilometers south east of Havana, and is considered the main project undertaken by the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA).

The Venezuelan President commented on the potential of this provincial capital to become an industrial center for Cuba, the Caribbean and Latin America, and stated that both governments have begun an integral development plant in this area.

On Wednesday December 19, the refinery´s general manager sent by Venezuela indicated that there are also organoponic farming projects and the refurbishment of the Psychiatric Hospital.
 
He stated that the investment necessary to reactivate this plant amounted to $166 million that were distributed to increase the complex’s technological improvement, and to buy materials and equipment.

The refinery’s initial production during the first phase is expected to reach 65 thousand barrels per day. There is a project to push this capacity and made the refinery produce 108 to 150 thousand barrels per day.

Similarly, Gomez Gil highlighted that Petrocaribe promotes the construction of an aqueduct in the town of Barbacoa. This aqueduct will span 12 kilometers and supply drinking water to approximately 42 thousand people.

Last October, during the pre-inauguration of the Camilo Cienfuegos refinery, Chavez assured that the second stage will include a petrochemical production complex that will cost approximately $300 million. The project includes a plastic producing factory, a fertilizer plant and another plant for regasification of Venezuelan liquefied gas.
 
(With information from the Bolivarian News Agency)