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The fuel crisis in Cuba continues to highlight the economic paralysis the country is experiencing: this time, the impact extends to the Canadian mining company Sherritt, the regime's main foreign partner in the extraction of nickel and cobalt in Moa, which announced the temporary suspension of its operations on the island.
According to the agency EFE, the company, which operates in the eastern part of the country, plans to pause its mining activities and put the processing plant on standby during the upcoming week. The company stated that it will take advantage of the stoppage to carry out maintenance work.
Sherritt explained that it was notified by the Cuban authorities that the planned fuel deliveries for the Moa plant will not be fulfilled and that, for the time being, it is unknown when the supply will resume.
The company specified that its nickel and cobalt refinery in Alberta, Canada, has sufficient raw materials to continue operating normally until mid-April, emphasized EFE.
He also mentioned that he will update his business forecasts for 2026 once he has greater certainty regarding the supply chain and the timeline for fully resuming operations in Cuba.
In January, Sherritt had already warned about adverse operational conditions on the island.
In 2025, its nickel and cobalt production in Cuba fell significantly short of the results from 2024 and the initial forecasts.
Sherritt has maintained a joint venture with a Cuban state entity for the extraction of a mine and a plant in Moa for three decades, in addition to a refinery in Canada.
Cuba ranks among the top countries in the world in nickel reserves, a strategic metal for battery manufacturing in the global energy transition.
In January, the Canadian company Sherritt International acknowledged that it was facing “significant operational challenges” on the island due to the economic crisis, the shortage of foreign currency, and the lack of energy affecting the entire country.
In its 2025 results report, the company announced that the production of its mixed plant Moa Nickel S.A. —located in the province of Holguín— reached 25,240 tons of nickel and 2,729 tons of cobalt, figures significantly lower than those of 2024 (30,331 and 3,206 tons, respectively), reported the agency AFP.
Sherritt attributed the decline in production to Cuba's energy crisis, delays in the procurement of supplies and spare parts, and the effects of Hurricane Melissa, which in October caused interruptions in operations and damage to critical infrastructure.
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