A widespread power outage struck eastern Cuba on Wednesday after the shutdown of units 1 and 5 of the Felton and Renté thermoelectric plants, leaving the provinces of Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo without electricity.
The Cuban Electric Union (UNE) announced on its official Facebook page that unit 1 of the Lidio Ramón Pérez Thermoelectric Plant (Felton) in Holguín, and unit 5 of the CTE Antonio Maceo (Renté) in Santiago de Cuba, are currently offline.
According to this state-run entity, the disconnection of these plants resulted in a total blackout across the eastern region of the country, cutting off electricity service to four provinces: Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo. However, the UNE did not clarify the reasons behind the units going offline or provide an estimated recovery time for the service.
Disruptions and Ongoing Investigations
The Holguín Electric Company reported on its Telegram channel that a "220 kV trip in Holguín triggered the shutdown of the CTE Lidio Ramón Pérez (Felton), Moa Fuel, and the CTE Antonio Maceo Renté, causing a partial outage of the National Electric System (SEN) in the eastern part of the country. The causes are being verified."
Later, state journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso shared on Facebook that at "8:54 PM, a failure occurred at the Holguín 220 kV substation, leading to the disconnection of the Electric System in the eastern zone, partially leaving Holguín province without service and completely affecting Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo provinces."
Efforts to Restore Power
Alonso also noted that the disconnection led to the shutdown of the CTE Felton unit, Moa engines, and units 3 and 5 at Renté. "Protocols for restoring the eastern zone's connection to the SEN, restarting the aforementioned units, and reestablishing the load affected by the event are currently being prepared," he emphasized.
It was previously reported that the National Electric System faced a critical situation on Wednesday, albeit with a slight reduction in the deficit compared to previous days.
According to the official report published on social media, for the evening peak hours, a capacity of 1,440 MW was forecasted against a demand of 2,950 MW, resulting in a deficit of 1,510 MW and an estimated impact of 1,540 MW.
FAQs About Cuba's Recent Blackout
What caused the massive blackout in eastern Cuba?
The blackout was caused by the shutdown of units at the Felton and Renté thermoelectric plants, as well as a failure at the Holguín 220 kV substation.
Which provinces in Cuba were affected by the power outage?
The blackout affected the provinces of Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo.
Is there an estimated time for power restoration?
The Cuban Electric Union has not provided an estimated time for restoring power to the affected regions.