Cuba has started manufacturing alcohol from sugarcane juice — somewhat of a novelty for this island nation, which had focused on producing sugar from the juice, and only used the byproducts to make alcohol. With this new mission, the Heriberto Duquesne company, in the central province of Villa Clara, will make the necessary adaptations to its sugar mills and distilleries, which proved successful in an experimental phase.

Experts see this diversification as the right way to go. “Alcohol is the fuel of the future, considering the high prices of petroleum, which is on its way to depletion,” economist Armando Nova told Tierramérica.

Used alone or mixed with gasoline, this derivative of sugarcane is less costly and less polluting than other types of fuels.