Capacity of potential Inter RAO projects in Cuba might drop to 600 MW - govt order

Inter RAO-Export LLC and Gestion de Proyectos LLC, which are both divisions of Russian energy group Inter RAO , might participate in projects to modernize thermal power plants in Cuba with combined capacity of 600 MW, as well as the construction of solar farms, a Russian government order on changes to the 2015 Russian-Cuban agreement on building generating units at the Maximo Gomez and Eastern Havana power plants that was published Tuesday indicated.

Under the new terms, there are plans to build one 200 MW generating unit at the Eastern Havana plant, provide technical assistance and supply spare parts for the overhaul of four existing 100 MW generating units at the Antonio Maceo, Maximo Gomez and Eastern Havana power plants, and build solar farms.

The previous version of the agreement called for Inter RAO to participate in a project to build one 200 MW unit at the Maximo Gomez plant and three 200 MW units at the Eastern Havana plant.

The article that lists the powers of the organizations to implement the project - RAO-Export and Gestion de Proyectos on the Russian side and Union Electrica on the Cuban - remains unchanged, according to the order.

An agreement to provide Cuba with a state export credit of up to 1.2 billion euros for the Maximo Gomez and Eastern Havana power plant projects was signed in 2015. The money was supposed to be used in 2016-2024, and Cuba is supposed to repay the loan over 10 years, with the first payments being made a year after the launch of the generating units, the initial deadline for which was February 1, 2025. In 2023, Russia allowed Cuba to defer payments on the loan.

Cuba suffered an energy crisis in October 2024 due to the failure of its largest power plant and Hurricane Oscar. Up to 90% of the island's population was left without power for days, and only healthcare institutions and companies involved in food production continued to operate.