On Thursday, a significant failure in Cuba's National Electric System (SEN) plunged the central and eastern regions of the island into darkness. This blackout, impacting areas from Ciego de Ávila to Guantánamo, was triggered by the shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant at 4:58 AM due to a boiler leak.
The Electric Union (UNE) reported a partial system collapse at 6:09 AM, with available power plummeting to just 636 MW against a demand of 2,420 MW, leaving 1,790 MW out of commission.
This marks the ninth malfunction of the Guiteras plant in 2026, occurring a mere five days after rejoining the SEN on May 9 following approximately 300 corrective measures and 90 hours offline.
Gradual Reconnection and Recovery
Efforts to restore power progressed slowly throughout the morning. Ciego de Ávila was reconnected to the SEN at 8:16 AM, while other provinces operated on isolated microsystems. Camagüey regained power at 9:19 AM with Unit 6 of the Diez de Octubre plant initiating startup, and Las Tunas was reconnected at 9:50 AM.
Widespread Power Plant Failures
Numerous malfunctions were reported, including issues with Unit 6 of the Máximo Gómez plant, Units 1 and 2 of the Ernesto Guevara De La Serna plant, Unit 2 of the Lidio Ramón Pérez plant, and Unit 5 of the Antonio Maceo plant, resulting in 263 MW being offline due to thermal generation constraints.
On the previous day, Wednesday the 13th, a maximum outage of 2,153 MW was recorded at 9:30 PM, exacerbated by emergency shutdowns at the Santa Cruz and Cienfuegos plants, as well as Moa's engines.
Dire Energy Crisis in Cuba
This latest collapse occurs amidst Cuba’s most severe energy crisis in decades. Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy publicly acknowledged on Wednesday that the nation "is out of fuel," describing the situation as "acute, critical, and extremely tense."
Román Pérez Castañeda, director of the Guiteras plant, admitted that the facility requires at least 180 days of downtime for a major overhaul—the last of which was in 2010—but stated that "the country's current situation does not allow for it."
The pattern is disturbingly consistent: Guiteras exits the system, undergoes partial repairs, and fails again within days, leaving millions of Cubans in the dark.
The forecast for Thursday night's peak hours is grim. The UNE projects an available capacity of 976 MW against a demand of 3,150 MW, with an anticipated shortfall of 2,174 MW and an estimated impact of 2,204 MW if current conditions persist.
Understanding Cuba's Energy Crisis
What caused the recent power outage in Cuba?
The recent power outage in Cuba was caused by a boiler leak at the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant, leading to its shutdown and subsequent collapse of the National Electric System.
How does the current energy crisis affect Cuban citizens?
The ongoing energy crisis leaves many Cuban citizens without reliable electricity, disrupting daily life and essential services across the island.
What is the Cuban government's response to the energy shortfall?
The Cuban government, acknowledging the severe fuel shortage, describes the situation as critical and is likely seeking ways to manage the energy shortfall, though specific measures have not been detailed.