Turkish Power Barge Erol Bey Leaves Havana, Intensifying Cuba's Rolling Blackouts

The floating power plant, Erol Bey, operated by the Turkish company Karpowership, has permanently departed from Havana's port this past Monday at approximately 2:30 PM local time, as confirmed by the EFE agency. With its exit, Cuba loses 63 megawatts of installed capacity at a critical juncture: the nation has endured eight total collapses of the electrical system so far in 2026, with blackouts in Havana stretching beyond 20 hours daily.

As of this report's publication, Cuban authorities had not officially acknowledged the vessel's departure, continuing the pattern of silence that has marked previous departures of the Turkish barges.

The Belgin Sultán: Last Turkish Power Barge Standing

Following the departure of the Erol Bey, the Belgin Sultán remains the only Turkish floating power plant in the capital. Back in April, the Ministry of Energy and Mines confirmed that together, these units provided a total of 124 MW of installed capacity. Now, that figure is cut by more than half.

This situation arises at an exceptionally dire moment. On the same Monday, the Electric Union predicted a nighttime peak shortfall of 1,922 MW, with only 958 MW available to meet a demand of 2,850 MW. In certain provinces, outages have persisted for up to three consecutive days without relief.

History of Withdrawals and Unfulfilled Promises

The saga of Turkish power barges in Cuba is one of unkept promises and gradual retreats. Karpowership initiated operations on the island in 2019 with an initial contract for three units. The fleet reached its peak with eight ships contributing over 400 MW to the National Electrical System, operating in the bays of Mariel and Havana. Since then, there has been a steady decline.

In August 2025, the Suheyla Sultan—with a capacity of 240 MW—officially left Havana's port for "commercial reasons," though insiders attributed it to the Cuban government's payment defaults. Mere weeks later, Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy publicly admitted that Cuba could only afford two barges—the Belgin Sultán and the Erol Bey—and that "over 95% of the electric system's issues stem from a lack of financial resources."

Impact of Financial Struggles on Energy Supply

The remaining barges managed to generate electricity for only about two weeks, following the late May arrival of the Russian tanker Anatoli Kolodkin with 740,000 barrels of crude oil. Without a steady fuel supply, their contribution was minimal and short-lived.

The Erol Bey's departure occurs without the regime offering an explanation, although questions about potential non-payments to Karpowership linger. The company has previously withdrawn due to Cuban government debts. In December 2024, De la O Levy had warned the National Assembly that the barges might leave if Cuba failed to meet its financial obligations.

Challenges Beyond Floating Plants

The deterioration of Cuba's electric system extends beyond the floating plants. Land-based thermoelectric plants, which account for nearly 40% of the national generation, were largely built during the 1960s and 1970s. On Monday, several units in Santa Cruz, Felton, and Renté were out of service, with thermal limitations reaching 607 MW.

In October, the Electric Company of Cienfuegos acknowledged circuits experiencing between 70 and 89 hours of uninterrupted outages, with the month's worst shortfall exceeding a 2,039 MW deficit on October 30.

In under seven years, Cuba has gone from having eight Turkish power barges to just one, without the regime providing any official explanation for the Erol Bey's exit or how it plans to offset the loss of those additional 63 MW amid a crisis the government itself describes as "extremely tense."