UK firm signs sweet deal with Cuban sugar producers

[Judi Lynn]

UK firm signs sweet deal with Cuban sugar producers
Havana Energy invests $250m to develop series of plants generating energy from sugar cane residue
By BusinessGreen staff
17 Jan 2011

A British company has signed a landmark $250 million (£157m) deal with the Cuban government to produce power from the waste products of the nation's numerous sugar mills.

Havana Energy, chaired by former energy minister Brian Wilson, plans to develop a pilot 30MW power plant at Ciro Redondo sugar mill, about 400km from Havana, in a joint venture with Zerus SA, a company linked to the Cuban Ministry of Sugar.

The companies expect deliver a return on the initial investment within five years and in the longer term will investigate the potential for four further 32MW plants across the island nation.

"Cuba has an excellent record both in providing electricity for its people and promoting environmental sustainability," Wilson said. "This project will support both objectives."

More:
http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/1937579/uk-firm-signs-sweet-deal-cuban-sugar-producers?WT.rss_f=Home&WT.rss_a=UK+firm+signs+sweet+deal+with+Cuban+sugar+producers

[social_critic]

1. the communist oligarchs in Cuba give preference to multinationals

Isn't it amazing how the Cuban oligarchs (aka "communist party leadership") forbid Cuban citizens from owning the type of business a foreign corporation can create in Cuba? It's really insane, they are giving all the profitable options to foreign leeches and parasites, and Cubans are limited to being hired as indentured servants by these foreign corporations. What a bunch of bs.

[dipsydoodle]

4. Exactly how .

in the absense of being able to deal with US banks, do think the locals could spirit up £157 million ?

Of course external investment is necessary and that cannot come from the US - really only China, Russia, or a Latin American or EU country.

[social_critic]

5. How can a group of Cubans start a business?

They could start the business small and grow it. They could ask for bank loans from other nations. They could issue stock AND get bank loans. There are many options, but these options are impossible because the sob's in charge won't let it happen.

The problem, you see, is that communist oligarchs who rule Cuba don't want to see Cubans free to do what they allow foreigners to do. And you know what else? The Cuban people REALLY hate it. And this is why the communists can't have free elections. They know they'll lose.

I can't wait for the day the communist regime ends, so the Cuban people can be free, and live in a normal country. But it sure is a shame to see the country being handed over to foreign corporations because the so called marxists are too rotten and too dumb to realize they are going to lose anyway, and all they are doing is selling out the country.

[dipsydoodle]

8. This is not a matter of how Cubans could start "a"" business

its a matter of how they could start "this" business and produce 30 megawatts initially.

[social_critic]

10. Oh yes, this is a matter of how Cubans can start a business

"This business" is just one of many potential businesses, and it is just the tip of the iceberg of the business ventures the communists are arranging with foreign multinationals. So yes, the issue bothering Cubans is precisely their lack of ability to do what foreigners are allowed to do.

Evidently what is at stake here is whether the communists gradually evolve the Cuban economy to one where foreign corporations are making profits, clearly functioning as capitalist enterprises, while the Cuban people lack the ability to do what foreigners do, and at the same time are forbidden by the government to form free and indepedent unions so they can charge for their labor and get benefits from these foreigners.

What you are advocating is the continued enslavement of 10 million people by a bunch of corrupt oligarchs, who have seen communism fail, and are now moving towards a medieval form of fascism, in which the "communist party leadership" serves as feudal lords in an alliance with foreign corporations. The cuban working class, meanwhile, gets to be the serfs, and works for the wages their fascist overlords set. And the foreign multinationals? They'll make sure they make their profits, and will squeeze labor as hard as possible. This is unconscionable, and a tremendous abuse.

You know where this will lead? A rebellion. There's no way the Cuban people will allow themselves to be taken from 50 years of communist abuse into medieval servitude to a bunch of local oligarchs who stake their claim to power quoting Marx and Engels while they get in bed with foreign corporations. Talk about making Cuba into another banana republic.

Don't you have any shame at all, to be defending what's going on?

[Judi Lynn]

2. UK firm signs Cuban renewable energy deal

17 January 2011 Last updated at 02:16 ET
UK firm signs Cuban renewable energy deal

Generating power from sugar cane fibre and wild shrubs is at the heart of a pioneering link between a British company and the Cuban government.

Havana Energy, chaired by former Labour government minister Brian Wilson, plans to develop the technology to build biomass energy plants in the country.

The deal, with state-owned Zerus, comes as the country trials ways of working with private firms, after decades of running its economy through the state.

It is being valued at $250m (£157m).

The investment is being hailed as the first major renewable energy contract signed between Cuba and a British company.

More:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-12204109

[dipsydoodle]

3. Excellent news

Good to see even closer links between the UK and Cuba outside of normal tourism. I'm sure external investment of £157m will be of benefit to the Cuban economy.

The beauty of what they intend to do uses what would otherwise be waste and as such is not misuse of food.

:hi:

[Judi Lynn]

6. You're right. First time I've seen this process anywhere. Tremendous initiative.

Amazing resourcefulness. It's a far kinder, more intelligent form of bioenergy.

[social_critic]

7. Old hat in Brazil

This is done in Brazil all the time. It could have been done in Cuba if Castro hadn't read that garbage piece by Atilio Boron and had come out against biofuels or the use of sugar cane for anything but to make him his 10 AM guarapo. So Castro destroyed the Cuban sugar industry and now he's trying to get it going again using Brazilian technology as re-packaged by a bunch of british corpo-fascists. Oh, yes, a great initiative.

[silverweb]

9. Excellent!

I'm betting they come up with some very interesting innovations, too. :thumbsup:

[social_critic]

11. I doubt they'll come up with much

The british are just copying existing technology anyway