14ymedio, Havana, 18 April 2024 — Ten Cuban engineers with “relevant skills” were hired last week by the Government of Guyana to help the state Power and Light (GPL) company solve its energy crisis. Also arriving to “cope with the blackouts” in Guyana is a Turkish “patana” (floating power plant) with 36 megawatts (MW) of power belonging to the Turkish company Karpowership. The coincidence of both events suggests that Havana will be involved – with experience and labor – in the installation of the floating power plant.
According to an article by the local media Kaieteur, the Guyanese president, Irfaan Ali, celebrated the arrival of the Cuban engineers and said on Facebook that he has “promised” the Cuban ambassador in Georgetown that he will “import” technicians.
Without offering the name of the newly rented 36-MW power plant, the Ali Administration explained that it is a “motor boat” that will be connected to the national network, chartered for two years to Karpowership through UCC Holdings, a subsidiary of the Power International Holding conglomerate, based in Qatar. These two companies have an alliance to operate in Latin America, with Turkish floating power plants in Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Cuba.
The Ali Administration explained that it is a “motor boat” that will be connected to the national network, chartered for two years to Karpowership
Although the Guyanese Minister of Public Works, Deodat Indar, said that the patana would leave Cuba, the announcement leaves several unknowns. First of all, the capacity of none of the power plants that the Island has installed coincides with that planned by Guyana (36 MW). For example, the Erol Bey (63 MW), the Suheyla Sultan (240 MW) and the Belgin Sultan (15 MW) are anchored in Havana. This Wednesday, 14ymedio verified that they are all in their respective enclaves. The constant monitoring by this newspaper of the ships that reach port in Havana Bay has not revealed that a new patana has arrived in Cuban waters.
However, the tug and fire boat Karadeniz One, which also belongs to Karpowership – and which has moved several of the Turkish power plants that Cuba rented – has been anchored in Havana
