A significant failure in Havana's power grid on Thursday led to a massive blackout affecting much of the Cuban capital, marking the second major distribution system breakdown in under 24 hours. This latest incident, possibly linked to electrical discharges, triggered numerous high-voltage substation shutdowns, disconnecting critical areas.
The Cuban Ministry of Energy and Mines reported through official channels that the 110 kV substations in Naranjito, Apolo, Melones, San Agustín, Talla Piedra, and Príncipe were impacted, leaving vast sectors of the city without electricity. Additionally, the Melones floating power units, which contribute to the capital’s electrical supply, were taken offline.
The ministry acknowledged “disconnection in several circuits of the capital” and stated investigations into the incident's cause are underway while service is being gradually restored. This outage follows an earlier failure reported by pro-government journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso, who highlighted a critical situation within the National Electric System.
In a Facebook post, Alonso detailed that a failure occurred early Thursday morning on the 110 kV line of the Melones floating power unit, causing its shutdown and the subsequent disconnection of other key infrastructures. The outage also affected Unit 5 of the Mariel thermoelectric plant, the Boca de Jaruco site, and a unit of Energás Varadero, resulting in an estimated loss of 400 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity.
Although one of the floating power unit's batteries was later reintegrated, Alonso warned that the system remained critically unstable. He noted that both Mariel’s Unit 5 and Boca de Jaruco were in the process of restarting, while the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant in Matanzas remained offline, with only a tentative return expected by Friday.
The Electric Union confirmed that the country was facing one of its largest generation deficits on Thursday, with a shortfall of 2,065 MW during peak hours. This figure set a new negative record, indicating that blackouts would impact most provinces for at least twelve continuous hours, as predicted before this latest widespread failure in Havana.
In response to the system collapse, the Havana Electric Company announced a redistribution of outage blocks. The new plan aims to "balance the load" and lessen damage to overloaded transformers, but it means that previously less affected areas now also encounter frequent and prolonged outages.
Furthermore, reports indicated that thousands of families were left without access to potable water due to halted pumping and treatment plants. The power cuts disrupted water supply in several Havana municipalities, particularly affecting communities reliant on mechanized sources for their daily water needs.
Understanding the Havana Power Crisis
What caused the recent power grid failure in Havana?
The failure is suspected to be related to electrical discharges that triggered multiple high-voltage substation shutdowns, disconnecting critical parts of the city.
How is the Cuban government responding to the power outages?
The government is investigating the cause of the incident while gradually restoring service. They have also announced a redistribution of outage blocks to balance the electrical load.
Which areas are most affected by the blackout?
Significant parts of Havana, including areas served by the Naranjito, Apolo, Melones, San Agustín, Talla Piedra, and Príncipe substations, have been heavily impacted.