Does Cuba have a comprehensive energy policy?

Currently, the global power generation sector is undergoing a massive transformation, as a result of increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions and rapid and profound technological developments in renewable energy. Cuba lacks a detailed strategic roadmap towards a comprehensive national energy policy that addresses these challenges.

What happened to Cuba's energy sector in 2022?

Various press reports suggest additional reductions occurred during 2022. Electric power has become the Achilles’ heel of Cuba’s energy sector and economy, as its oil-based distribution and thermoelectric generation collapsed due to age and lack of scheduled and capital maintenance.

Why is Cuba so dependent on imported energy?

With few traditional sources of its own, Cuba has always been dependent on imported energy. The replacement of the United States by the Soviet Union as the main trading partner and political ally was particularly visible in the change in supply of hydrocarbons.

Is there a short-term solution to Cuba's energy challenges?

There is no short-term solution to Cuba's energy challenges. The country does not have the domestic oil and natural gas resources necessary to meet its own needs and will have to continue to rely on imports of petroleum liquids and liquefied natural gas to fuel its future economic growth.

How will Cuba's relationship with other countries impact the energy transition?

Cuba’s relationships with other countries will be key to realizing the energy transition. Since 2000, Venezuela has been Cuba’s primary source of imported oil. However, political and economic troubles in Venezuela caused oil exports to Cuba to fall by about half, resulting in Cuba increasingly seeking oil imports from Mexico and Russia.

How much electricity does Cuba produce without sugar cane?

Electricity generation through biomass is not an isolated industrial transformation process; without sugar cane there is no bagasse, without bagasse there is no electricity. In 1990 Cuba had, in sugarcane products, the equivalent of three million tons of crude (almost 60,000 barrels per day). In 2021 it has barely a quarter of that figure.