Gilberto Olivera

Cuban inventor creating sustainable energy solutions from sugarcane waste

Gilberto Olivera is a Cuban engineer revolutionizing renewable energy through agricultural waste. Growing up in a sugarcane farming family in Sancti Spíritus, he witnessed the environmental impact of sugarcane processing byproducts. After studying mechanical engineering at Havana University, he invented a biogas conversion system that turns sugarcane bagasse into clean energy. His EcoAzúcar technology produces biogas with 30% higher efficiency than traditional methods, powering entire villages while reducing deforestation. Olivera's systems now operate in 23 Cuban municipalities, providing electricity to 150,000 residents and cutting CO2 emissions by 40,000 tons annually. His work earned him the 2019 UNEP Climate Innovation Award. He also pioneered biochar production from sugarcane residue, creating soil enrichers that boost crop yields by 25%. Olivera's methods have been adopted in Brazil and Colombia, forming the basis of the Caribbean Bioenergy Network. His TEDx talk 《Turning Waste into Watts》 has over 2 million views, inspiring young engineers across Latin America to pursue agricultural innovation. Olivera continues to advocate for policy changes to integrate agro-industrial waste into national energy grids.