HAVANA, Cuba – Nov. 14, 2025 – In a significant milestone for bilateral cooperation and global renewable energy advancement, the China-aided 35-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power station project in Cuba has been fully connected to the grid, marking the completion of a transformative initiative set to power tens of thousands of Cuban homes and significantly reduce the nation’s carbon footprint.

The ceremony dedicated to the official grid connection took place on November 13, with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and senior officials from China in attendance, indicating the project’s strategic significance to both countries. This solar energy project is being developed at multiple sites, which includes a solar park consisting of seven, individual power plants, creating a reliable, distributed clean energy system.

“For Cuba, the completion of this project is so much more than a power plant. It represents sustainable development and energy sovereignty,” stated President Díaz-Canel. “This collaborative effort with China exemplifies our close friendship and our common way of thinking about the future of greener development. The modern Chinese technology and equipment employed here will not only light our homes, but also support our future development as a nation and conserve the much-needed resources we would have to import into Cuba from fossil fuels.”

The renewable project has been constructed and equipped by a Chinese leader in the energy sector. The project employs modern solar panels, and the newest inverter technology solutions for extended operating life and systems operation in humid or overly hot climate conditions. The overall project provided by the Chinese team, starting from site surveys, projects design, equipment supply, construction management and technical training was a complete, “turn key” installation with each component specified for both Cuba and its unique conditions.

“This project symbolizes the Belt and Road Initiative’s approach to high-quality, sustainable development–this project is therefore a direct result of the project work held under the Belt and Road Initiative,” said Mr. Wang Lei, the Chinese Project Director. “We faced and dealt with unique challenges including tropical climatology and complex logictics. Our project was not simply to construct a power plant: we were building capacity. We have trained a group of local engineers and technicians so that, through our cooperation, they are able to operate and maintain this plant independently for decades. The transfer of knowledge is really the legacy of our partnership.”

The project has significant environmental and economic benefits. Data from the operation of the project indicates that the 35MW solar complex will generate approximately 53,000 megawatt-hours of clean electricity each year. This functionality will directly avoid the need for an estimated 18,000 tons of imported fossil fuels annually, thus alleviating pressure on the national economy. In environmental terms, this operation will directly avoid nearly 50,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year, therefore it is an important step in meeting Cuba’s climate goals as well.

“Our community has suffered from sporadic power supply for a long time. Now knowing that the electricity we will utilize for our family comes from the Sun, an abundant and free resource makes us feel proud and hopeful,” said María López, a teacher from a neighboring province that will benefit from the project. “Know we won’t have to worry about unstable electricity and hopefully is a clean and stable energy source for our children.”

The completion of the China-Cuba solar project comes at a crucial moment for the solar industry globally. As governments around the world wrestle with energy security and climate change issues, this partnership provides a compelling model of how global cooperation can expedite the transition to clean energy. It showcases that renewable energy can be a reliable and inexpensive backbone for national electricity grids with the correct equipment, expertise, and sense of global cooperation.

Now that all seven plants are now providing clean, sustainable energy into the Cuban grid, this landmark project is expected to provide power to approximately 35,000 homes. It strengthens China’s role as a partner to pursue global green energy projects, while providing Cuba with the opportunity to develop a stronger and more independent energy future. The success of this project will lead to similar projects and collaboration in renewable energy and other sectors of the two friendly nations.