Cuba - 2020

Moa is a young industrial town, founded in 1939. Large nickel and cobalt deposits located in the Moa area are exploited in part by a joint venture with the Canadian company Sherritt International. Unfortunately the extensive mining and nickel processing has an impact on the local environment. The soil around the factories has a reddish tint due to the iron ore in the ground. The nickel production is concentrated on the factories "Pedro Soto Alba" and "Ernesto Che Guevara". While the Nickel Processor Plant "Pedro Soto Alba" is a limited liability company between Cuba and Sherritt International Canadian Company, the "Ernesto Che Guevara" belongs to the government enterprise Cubaníquel. As average per year, The "Soto Alba" and "Che Guevara" produce more than 30.000 tons of nickel each. But there is also a large abandoned factory there, which is currently being demolished. While it's strictly forbidden to visit and photograph such facilities, we managed to go in and make some interesting shots.

This is a visit to the nickel works "Planta de Niquel de Punta Gorda" near Moa (closed in 1992), which is currently under demolition. No barriers at the entrance, all seems lost and peaceful. But our first attempt ended at a rusty fence with unmistakable signs, that trespassing will be prosecuted.

We took another way and surprise, surprise, we arrived at the big sceleton of a former factory building. Some workers were climbing around high above ground and cutting steel with their tools. So better don't go inside the ruins, was my first thought. No one noticed us.

There would have been interesting perspectives from inside. As you can imagine, I would have entered, but there were some workers up in the sceleton, cutting the steel beams to scrap, and this was too scary.

the 2nd large building of the abandoned nickel factory "Punta Gorda" near Moa - eastern Cuba (see PiP)

the 2nd large building of the abandoned nickel factory "Punta Gorda" near Moa - eastern Cuba