On August 7, the Chinese Embassy in Cuba handed over another batch of 5,000 household solar power systems to the Cuban government. Each system includes a 3.6-kilowatt-hour photovoltaic system and 14.3 kilowatt-hours of energy storage. They will be prioritized for remote areas, as well as institutions such as nurseries, banks and nursing homes. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel thanked China in a social media post on August 9.
Cuba is facing a serious energy crisis. After the U.S. took action against Venezuela in January, Venezuelan oil supplies to Cuba were cut off. Cuba’s fuel reserves quickly ran down. Its power plants are badly outdated, and its grid is extremely fragile. On August 3, Cuba’s national power system collapsed, plunging the entire country into darkness. It was the seventh nationwide blackout in Cuba so far this year.
The Chinese equipment arrived at a critical moment. But its impact is limited. At peak demand that day, Cuba faced a power shortfall of 2,280 megawatts. The 5,000 solar systems have a combined generation capacity of around 18 megawatts — enough to cover less than 0.8 percent of the gap. They can help provide basic emergency power in remote areas. But they cannot solve a systemic energy crisis.
That is why the Cuban government has now launched a plan to build 92 solar power plants across the country, with a total installed capacity of around 2,000 megawatts. As traditional energy supplies become increasingly unreliable, solar power is no longer just a supplementary source of electricity for Cuba. It is becoming an alternative the country has little choice but to rely on.
And China is providing more than just these 5,000 systems. From solar panels and energy-storage systems to larger-scale power plants, China is set to play a deeper role in another path for Cuba’s energy transition.
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