This Sunday, Cuba woke up to yet another widespread blackout following a complete disconnection from the National Electric System (SEN) that occurred on Saturday at 6:38 PM local time. This marks the second such incident in less than a week.
Officials have cautioned that the recovery process will be slow and phased, with efforts focused on establishing regional microsystems to gradually reconnect electricity across the nation.
The outage was triggered by a domino effect originating from the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant, caused by the failure of Unit No. 6 at the 10 de Octubre power station in Nuevitas, Camagüey, which subsequently led to the shutdown of other operational units.
In the span of approximately 18 months, this marks the seventh national failure of the SEN, underscoring the most severe energy crisis the island has faced in decades.
Current Restoration Efforts
This morning, Lázaro Guerra Hernández appeared on the television program "Revista Buenos Días" to discuss the ongoing recovery efforts.
According to his remarks, two more stable microsystems are currently operational: one in the western region with Energás Boca de Jaruco and another in the central area, utilizing Energás Varadero, Céspedes 3, and the Hanabanilla hydroelectric plant.
At the time of his appearance, the startup of Unit 1 at Santa Cruz del Norte was underway, with plans to initiate the startup of Block 4 at the Céspedes plant. Additionally, the immediate energization of the Antonio Guiteras plant was announced to commence its operations.
Official Statements on the Crisis
Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy took to social media to announce that Unit 1 of the Santa Cruz thermoelectric plant is now online and that the system continues to strengthen, operating from Mariel to Villa Clara.
In provinces such as Pinar del Río, Artemisa, and from Sancti Spíritus to Guantánamo, only small islands of power supply are functioning, providing electricity to essential services like hospitals and water supply facilities.
Authorities indicated that during the morning, efforts should progress to bolster the western and central microsystems with the aim of unifying them, followed by necessary steps to connect the eastern regions.
Impact on Havana and Villa Clara
The situation is particularly dire in the capital, with over 90% of Havana still without power following Saturday's blackout. In central Cuba, Villa Clara has managed to restore only about a quarter of its electrical supply.
This latest collapse comes just days after the director of the Guiteras plant was appointed to lead the SEN amidst the crisis and following warnings from a deputy minister who admitted to a total collapse of distributed generation due to fuel shortages.
Cuba is experiencing its second nationwide blackout in a week, a series of failures reminiscent of the October 2024 blackout when the shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras plant triggered a similar crisis that left the entire island in darkness for days.
Understanding Cuba's Energy Crisis
What caused the latest blackout in Cuba?
The recent blackout was instigated by a cascading failure originating from the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant, specifically due to the malfunction of Unit No. 6 at the 10 de Octubre power station in Nuevitas, Camagüey.
How are Cuban authorities addressing the power crisis?
Officials are focusing on creating regional microsystems to gradually restore power, with more stable systems currently operational in the western and central regions of the country.
What areas are most affected by the blackout?
Havana is severely impacted, with over 90% of the city without electricity. Villa Clara has also been significantly affected, with only about 25% of power restored.