Moscow, June 14 (EFECOM).- Russia will help Cuba restore its electricity generation system, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsiviliov said today during a meeting with Cuban Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas, at a time when the Caribbean nation is experiencing serious electricity supply problems.
“The construction of new energy facilities is an important stage for the restoration of the working capacity of Cuba’s energy system. I am sure that the participation and experience of Russian specialists will represent a considerable contribution to the energy branch of the republic,” he said. the Russian minister, quoted on Telegram.
According to the Russian Ministry of Energy, representatives of Russia and Cuba “discussed the prospects for cooperation” in the fuel and energy complex of the largest of the Antilles and cooperation in the construction of energy facilities.
They also discussed cooperation in the field of oil and gas, in particular around the joint project of the Boca de Jaruco field, “where high levels of crude oil extraction were reached.”
“The exchange of professional experiences will foster the development of dialogue between our countries on energy matters,” stressed the Russian Energy Minister.
Currently, Cuba faces serious problems in its electrical system, causing blackouts in up to 28% of the country, due to the lack of fuel needed by terrestrial thermoelectric plants to generate electricity and the breakdowns and maintenance of several units of these plants. which have been in operation for more than four decades.
The Cuban Government has rented several floating power plants (of which currently only five remain) to alleviate the lack of generation capacity, a quick but temporary, polluting and expensive solution.
The blackouts hamper the economic performance of the country, plunged into a serious crisis for four years.
They have also been the trigger for the anti-government protests in recent years, including those on July 11, 2021 – the largest in decades – and those on March 17 in Santiago de Cuba (east) and other locations. EFECOM
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