Chinese-backed solar projects in Cuba have reached at least 34 operating parks with nearly 1.2 gigawatts of capacity, making Beijing the island’s leading renewable-energy partner during a worsening blackout crisis.
Imports of Chinese photovoltaic panels rose from $16.6 million in 2019 to $117 million in 2025, while China supplied inverters, equipment and technical support that analysts say deepen Cuba’s reliance on a single provider.
Solar still generates only about 9% of Cuba’s electricity because an aging grid, lack of battery storage and repeated failures at major thermoelectric plants limit how much new capacity can be used.
That leaves Havana paying for much of the technology—sometimes with nickel—while China absorbs solar overcapacity, secures access to a strategic mineral and expands its influence in the Caribbean.