Cuban Government Faces Criticism Over Delayed Restart of Cienfuegos Power Plant

The Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Power Plant's Unit 4 in Cienfuegos remains disconnected from Cuba's National Electric System, with officials now projecting its reintegration by late October, following a prolonged nine-month downtime. Back in December 2024, the Cienfuegos plant was entirely removed from the grid for an extensive overhaul of its two units. Priority initially went to Unit 3, severely impacted by a national grid failure in October of that year, which damaged its turbine.

After the maintenance on Unit 3 concluded in May 2025, it operated throughout the summer with over 95% availability, according to the plant's director, José Osvaldo González Rodríguez. However, González Rodríguez has acknowledged that Unit 4 is undergoing a more complicated process, with significant issues found in both its turbine and boiler. He noted, “Unit 4 is currently undergoing an expanded partial maintenance similar to Unit 3. Cracks were found in the boiler's thermal influence zone welds, along with problems in the exchangers, superheater, and reheater,” as reported to the official media outlet 5 de Septiembre.

The latest assurances about Cienfuegos Unit 4's restart were made public on September 9, 2025, just a day before a massive blackout left nearly all of Cuba in darkness following a complete grid failure. This timing has further fueled public skepticism toward official statements, seen as attempts to buy time in the face of a dire energy situation.

The technical challenges cited by González Rodríguez have necessitated extending the repairs well beyond initial timelines. In January, the government promised Unit 4 would be ready by June, but now its launch is delayed until October 2025, citing the need for “more thorough” corrective work. González Rodríguez emphasized the focus on maintenance “quality,” yet the lack of transparency and repeated schedule failures have heightened public discontent.

Historically, the Cienfuegos power plant was regarded as one of Cuba's most reliable, though it also experienced lengthy shutdowns and significant repairs. In 2017, it was out of service for nearly a year for modernization, including key equipment replacements, and in 2018, saw substantial investments aimed at boosting efficiency. However, since late 2024, recurring outages and simultaneous stoppages have plagued both units, with the Electric Union and government repeatedly missing announced deadlines.

This cycle of breakdowns and unfinished repairs has transformed what was once a symbol of stability into another weak link in a national electric system teetering on the brink of collapse. Meanwhile, power outages continue to disrupt the lives of millions of Cubans, who greet new official announcements with skepticism. Initially promised for June, now October: a pattern of expectations and delays that further erodes trust in the government's energy management.