By Atilio Boron on April 6, 2026
The Belgin Sultan floating power plant in Havana
Turkey is providing support to Cuba, where millions of people remain in the dark due to the tightening of U.S. embargoes and the collapse of its energy infrastructure. The ship, sent by Karpowership (part of Karadeniz Holding), has already begun generating electricity in Havana.
Following the second total collapse of the national grid in a short period, which left nearly 10 million people without electricity, the Cuban government has turned to the Turkish model of floating power plants for their ability to offer quick and effective solutions, according to Yeni Akit Gazetesi.
The Belgin Sultan vessel, already docked in the Port of Havana, will serve as a “lifeline” for an aging island infrastructure suffering from severe fuel supply problems.
The Karpowership fleet, selected to address the energy deficit, consists of high-tech power plants installed on ships.
These floating power plants, capable of operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG), natural gas, and liquid fuel, play a vital role in crisis zones because—unlike land-based facilities—they can be integrated into the grid quickly.
With the commissioning of the Belgin Sultan, the aim is to significantly reduce chronic power outages in the capital, Havana, and its surrounding areas.
Cuba is pursuing a multifaceted strategy to stabilize its energy supply. While on one hand it is leveraging Turkey’s floating power plant technology, on the other it is trying to stay afloat thanks to fuel support from Russia.
This follows the arrival in March of a shipment of 700,000 barrels of Russian crude oil aboard the Anatoly Kolodkin—which is subject to U.S. sanctions—which unloaded at the Cuban port of Matanzas. The Turkish media reported that a second shipment is already en route to Cuba.
In line with reports in the Turkish press, this technological support provided by Turkey is considered a strategic achievement in ensuring the Cuban people’s access to energy.
I think that this is yet another sign of the growing defiance of more and more governments in the face of Trump’s bluster. Now Turkey has joined the ranks. There is no doubt: the empire is becoming a little more impotent every day, and there is no turning back.
Source: Resumen Latinoamericano – English