Cuba is experiencing its worst economic crisis in three decades and produces barely a third of the fuel it uses every day. Lines of cars in search of petrol have been part of the landscape since the end of March.
With the deliveries from Mexico and Russia, the country could now alleviate this serious fuel deficit, at least for the time being.
The Mexican tanker Bicentenario arrived at the Port of Havana on June 6 with a cargo of around 265,000 barrels of oil, according to the Vessel Finder site, which tracks the vessels’ route. This Thursday the ship was anchored near the Ñico López refinery in the Cuban capital.
Diesel ship arrives in Matanzas
At the end of May, the Cameroonian supertanker Limo, coming from Russia, arrived in the port of Matanzas with an estimated 800,000 barrels.
The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, said at the time: “on the fuel issue.” […] There will be a rebound in activity and fewer awkward queues.
The director of the Energy and Environment Program for Latin America and the Caribbean at the University of Texas, Jorge Piñón, quoted by AFP, believes that supplies may “return to acceptable levels”.
According to Piñón, Havana can be delivered in up to three weeks. The processing capacity of the Ñico López refinery is approximately 22,000 barrels per day. Continuity will depend on whether the flow is maintained and whether there are no problems at the Cuban plants.
In 2022, Cuba faced the fire at its main fuel storage facility in the province of Matanzas, along with lost production and a drop in supplies from Venezuela.
The country produces about 40,000 barrels a day but needs another 100,000 to meet its needs, Piñón says. The difference will be partially covered by its partners, with a deficit of at least 20,000, he said.