The Russian government is considering, according to Russian sources, building a new oil refinery in Cuba, with better technology than the existing ones on the island, which are outdated and obsolete in many cases.
According to the Russian agency TASS, Vladimir Putin’s government is seriously considering building an oil refinery in Cuba in collaboration with Russian companies. All this in the midst of a fuel crisis that is hitting the island and keeping the population in long, suffocating power outages.
Alexander Babakov, a senior Russian lawmaker, revealed that Russia has held talks with Havana on this project. The information was disclosed during the visit of a delegation of Russian parliamentarians, headed by the speaker of the Lower House, Vyacheslav Volodin, to the island.
Babakov told TASS that the possibility of building the refinery was discussed during the trip. “Cuba has crude oil: it is logical not to import petroleum products, but to produce them here,” Babakov told the agency.
“The largest Russian companies could participate here,” he added.
Russia plans to open a refinery in Cuba in the long term
Russia resumed crude oil supplies to Cuba in March after a one-year interruption, which is why it remains interested in opening a new refinery with the appropriate and up-to-date technology.
Venezuela remains the island’s main oil supplier, although shipments have declined in recent years. Last year, Mexico exported significant amounts of oil to Cuba, but has resumed this year more timidly.
In mid-June of this year, the Russian government, through the Minister of Energy, Sergei Tsiviliov, committed to “restore the electrical system” of Cuba, which is in the midst of one of the worst crises in its history.
Russia would help the island, as the minister announced his country’s willingness to collaborate with Cuba in the recovery of its electricity generation system.
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