Turkish Cypriot manufacturing faced frequent power shortages because virtually all electricity consumed in the "TRNC" came from power plants in the Republic of Cyprus. Until the second half of the 1980s, the "TRNC" received electricity in exchange for water it supplied to the republic. By the late 1980s, however, the republic had made extensive investments in water management facilities, and no longer needed water from the "TRNC." A result of this independence, Turkish Cypriots contended, was that the provision of electricity to them was frequently, even daily, interrupted for short periods beginning in the late 1980s. To counter the uncertain supply of electric power, Turkish Cypriots began constructing an oil-fired power plant near Kyrenia. Financed by Turkey, the plant was scheduled to go into production by 1993 with a capacity of 120 megawatts and an annual production of 750 million kilowatt-hours. Greek Cypriot opinion about the power plant was mixed. Its construction would mean that the Republic of Cyprus would no longer need to supply the "TRNC" with electricity. The resulting energy independence of Turkish Cypriots would, however, make them less susceptible to Greek Cypriot pressure.

Like Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots were entirely dependent on imports for petroleum. All petroleum imports were in the form of finished products because the "TRNC" had no refineries.

Mining was once quite important for the Cypriot economy, but by the late 1980s it represented only 0.3 percent of the GDP of the "TRNC." There was some mining in the area around Lefka, but about 90 percent of mineral deposits of value were in the Republic of Cyprus. Minerals in the "TRNC" that could be exported included cuprous and iron pyrites, chrome iron ore, manganese ore, gypsum, earth colors, and lime.

Data as of January 1991