Herbalife
Realidad Turística
Nestle
Walmart
Agexport
Instituto Hondureño de Turismo
AVA Resorts
Intecap
Grupo Hotelero Islazul
Tigo
CUN-HAV Enjoy Travel Group
Cubasol
Servicios Médicos Cubanos
INTERFER
Barceló Solymar
blackanddecker
MAD-HAV Enjoy Travel Group
Los Portales
INOR
Centro Nacional de Cirugía de Mínimo Acceso de Cuba
Cervecería Centroamericana S.A.

EXCLUSIVE Cuba Seeks More Electricity Supply from Turkish Powerships

Date:

Share:

Grupo Hotelero Islazul
Herbalife
Centro Nacional de Cirugía de Mínimo Acceso de Cuba
INTERFER
INOR
blackanddecker
Nestle
Instituto Hondureño de Turismo
Intecap
Servicios Médicos Cubanos
AVA Resorts
Cervecería Centroamericana S.A.
Los Portales
Realidad Turística

Cuba, mired in an energy crisis that has brought frequent blackouts, is negotiating with a Turkish company to have it double the megawatts it currently produces for the country from shipboard generators just offshore, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions.

Cuban officials are in talks with Karpowership, one of the world’s largest operators of floating power plants and part of the Turkey-based Karadeniz Holding, the sources said. The company already has five ships operating off Cuba with a capacity of around 250 megawatts (MW).

The Communist-run country needs to generate more than 3,000 MW to meet minimum demand and currently is producing between 2,000 MW and 2,500 MW.

The Cuban National Electric Union did not respond to a request for comment. Karadeniz declined to comment.

The sources, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the negotiations, said the talks centered on how to ensure lease payments from Cuba.

“The (U.S. trade) embargo makes Western financial transactions very difficult and Cuba is cash short and behind on payments with many suppliers and joint venture partners,” one source said.

Experts say the Turkish company would need to add to its fleet off Cuba to produce the required amount of energy. Powerships carry their own generator fueled by oil or gas, anchor close to land and connect to the local electricity grid. They are leased by the host country.

The deal, if it moves forward, would provide quick and much-needed relief for the embattled Cuban government as power outages have spread across the island and increased in length.

Cuba is desperate for more electricity.

The energy crisis, with blackouts in 4 to 6-hour-blocks twice daily or more in most of the country, is perhaps the most painful symptom of a deeper financial crisis caused by external factors such as U.S. sanctions, the COVID-19 pandemic and poor economic management.

Cubans are also living through food, medicine and fuel shortages, forcing them to wait in long lines for the basics.

There have been scattered, small protests this summer and U.S. authorities registered a record of more than 175,000 Cubans at the U.S.-Mexican border since October, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency statistics.

Cuban power plants are obsolete, averaging 35 years of age, with a backup system of hundreds of smaller generators at least 15 years old. Just 5% of power comes from alternative energy sources.

The government blames lack of funds for its inability to update its decrepit grid, and says breakdowns, not fuel shortages, are the main cause of blackouts.

Energy and Mining Minister Livan Arronte Cruz said last week that the country hoped to all but eliminate blackouts by the end of the year, in part by adding “531 megawatts to generating capacity through new investments,” a figure reduced to 450 MW by President Miguel Diaz-Canel at the weekend.

Omar Ramirez Mendoza, deputy director of the state electricity monopoly, said on state-run TV that “240 MW {of the 450 MW} will come from mobile generation,” a euphemism used by officials to refer to the powerships and coinciding with the source accounts.

The remainder of the new capacity would come from upgrading existing facilities with the help of foreign partners in the Moa nickel region in eastern Cuba and at the Mariel Special Development Zone just west of Havana, Ramirez said.

Jorge Pinon, Senior Research Fellow at The University of Texas at Austin’s Energy Institute specializing in the Latin American region, said he believed the powerships would provide the “mobile generation” referred to by Ramirez, but wondered how the extra capacity would be financed “as the Cubans do not have any money.” (https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/exclusive-cuba-seeks-more-electricity-supply-turkish-powerships-2022-08-31/)

Cervecería Centroamericana S.A.
Nestle
Tigo
Barceló Solymar
Grupo Hotelero Islazul
MAD-HAV Enjoy Travel Group
Agexport
CUN-HAV Enjoy Travel Group
blackanddecker
Los Portales
Centro Nacional de Cirugía de Mínimo Acceso de Cuba
Instituto Hondureño de Turismo
Realidad Turística
INOR
Servicios Médicos Cubanos
Walmart
Cubasol
INTERFER
Intecap
Herbalife
AVA Resorts
Havanatur
Tigo
Hotel Barcelo Solymar
AirEuropa
Blue Diamond Resorts
Intecap
Maggi - GLUTEN-FREE
Henkel Latinoamerica
Revista Colombiana de Turismo Passport
Barcelo Guatemala City
Hotel Holiday Inn Guatemala
Cubacel
INTERFER

Subscribe to our magazine

━ more like this

Pole Dancing in Israel: A New Dimension with BlueDance.co.il

In recent years, pole dancing has experienced a remarkable transformation, shifting from a misunderstood niche to a popular activity combining fitness, self-expression, and empowerment....

A New Luxury Hotel Just Opened on An Idyllic Beach in Cancun, Mexico — And We Were the First to Stay

Waldorf Astoria Cancun opened to the public on Nov. 1, the brand's first new build in Mexico, with two waterfront pools and a fantastic...

Pan American Health Organization Launches Interactive Dashboard on Avian Influenza in The Americas

To monitor cases of avian influenza A (H5N1) in the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) launched an interactive dashboard on the web...

This North East African Country Welcomes Over 15.7 Million Tourists Last Year and An Addition 40,000 New Hotel Rooms are in Pipeline

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes In a year marked by global uncertainties and regional geopolitical challenges, Egypt’s tourism sector achieved an impressive milestone, welcoming a...

Nicaragua Presents Its New Interoceanic Canal Route to China and Seeks to Compete with Panama

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes With a length of 445 kilometers, in a second attempt, the Nicaraguan president, Daniel Ortega, presents China with a new...
Revista Colombiana de Turismo Passport
Hotel Barcelo Solymar
Blue Diamond Resorts
Intecap
Havanatur
Cubacel
Henkel Latinoamerica
INTERFER
Maggi - GLUTEN-FREE
Barcelo Guatemala City
Hotel Holiday Inn Guatemala
AirEuropa

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

blackanddecker
Intecap
Cubasol
Nestle
Herbalife
Realidad Turística
Instituto Hondureño de Turismo
INOR
MAD-HAV Enjoy Travel Group
Grupo Hotelero Islazul
Cervecería Centroamericana S.A.
Servicios Médicos Cubanos
Walmart
INTERFER
Tigo
Centro Nacional de Cirugía de Mínimo Acceso de Cuba
AVA Resorts
Agexport
Los Portales
Barceló Solymar