The Cuban Ministry of Energy and Mines announced on Wednesday that the island-wide power outage that occurred in the morning did not harm the thermoelectric plants, despite the complete failure of the National Electric System (SEN) following the unexpected shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras plant in Matanzas. "So far, no damage to any thermoelectric plant has been reported due to the disconnection from the Electric System," the ministry stated on its official X profile.
Energas Boca de Jaruco has already restarted, and the process of energizing plants and substations has begun, according to the report. The Electric Union (UNE) confirmed that the total collapse of the SEN happened at 9:14 a.m., leaving the entire island without power.
On Tuesday, the maximum impact due to the generation deficit was 1,750 MW, and projections for Wednesday anticipated disruptions of up to 1,790 MW. Reported issues included malfunctions in Unit 3 and 6 of the CTE Renté, Unit 2 of the CTE Felton, and Unit 5 of the CTE Nuevitas. Additionally, other units were under maintenance, with thermal limitations causing 284 MW to be out of service, alongside the shutdown of 44 distributed generation plants due to lack of fuel.
The shutdown of Guiteras was triggered by a false signal indicating superheated steam in the boiler, which activated the automatic system and disconnected the thermal block, as confirmed by the official newspaper Girón. The plant's director, Rubén Campos Olmo, admitted that it is uncertain when operations will resume or if the shutdown caused additional damage. "The plant requires external energy to restart, and that depends on the system's stability in other regions," Campos explained.
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz stated that the government has a "well-defined strategy" to address the total collapse of the SEN, although he did not elaborate on why such outages cannot be prevented. Marrero praised the professionalism of the UNE workers and pledged to keep the public informed during the restoration process.
This latest collapse marks the fifth nationwide blackout in Cuba within a year, highlighting the extreme vulnerability of the electric system and the authorities' inability to ensure stable service amid fuel shortages, technical failures, and lack of maintenance in thermoelectric plants.
Understanding Cuba's Power Grid Challenges
What caused the recent power outage in Cuba?
The outage was caused by the unexpected shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras plant due to a false signal indicating superheated steam, leading to the automatic disconnection of the thermal block.
How are the thermoelectric plants impacted by outages?
According to Cuban authorities, the recent outage did not cause damage to any thermoelectric plants, as reported by the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
What measures is the Cuban government taking to address power grid failures?
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz mentioned a "well-defined strategy" to tackle these issues, though specifics were not provided on how to prevent future outages.
Why are power outages frequent in Cuba?
Frequent outages are due to the fragile state of the electric system, exacerbated by fuel shortages, technical failures, and inadequate maintenance of thermoelectric plants.