Havana Faces Extensive Power Outages During Early Morning Hours

Once again, Havana experienced a night overshadowed by extensive power outages. At 12:06 AM on Thursday, October 8th, the city's Electric Company reported that 91 distribution circuits were without power, resulting in a generation deficit of 235 megawatts (MW).

This data, gathered by the state-run company and reported by the Blackout Observatory of CiberCuba, highlights the severe impact of these electric cuts across numerous neighborhoods. Some circuits were without electricity for more than eight hours.

The reported figures reflect a specific moment during the night. As the hours progressed, additional outages and some power restorations were reported, so the 91 affected circuits should not be seen as a constant figure throughout the day.

Ongoing Power Outages in Havana's Late Night

The Electric Company of Havana's reports indicate that power interruptions persisted past midnight in various parts of the capital.

At 12:41 AM, circuits C7, C10, and C13, serving areas near Vía Blanca, Primelles, and Casino Deportivo, among others, experienced further generation shortfalls.

Shortly after, at 12:50 AM, new outages were logged in circuit C14, affecting streets such as Washington, Churruca, Márquez, Ermita, Concepción, and Vista Hermosa.

At the same time, circuit R454, which serves neighborhoods like Mañana, Valero, Vía Blanca, Azotea, and Vista Alegre, also faced disruptions.

Prolonged Electricity Loss in Various Circuits

In addition to new outages, official reports revealed interruptions that had persisted for much of the previous day.

Circuits with the longest recorded interruptions included:

• A425, in San Miguel del Padrón and Arroyo Naranjo: 8 hours and 6 minutes.
• S514, in San Miguel del Padrón: 8 hours and 6 minutes.
• PZ9, in Plaza de la Revolución: 7 hours and 29 minutes.
• PZ1, in Plaza de la Revolución: 7 hours and 19 minutes.
• SR850, in Cotorro: 7 hours and 17 minutes.
• 2074, in La Lisa: 6 hours and 46 minutes.
• T44, in Diez de Octubre: 6 hours and 55 minutes.

These durations represent the accumulated outages reported overnight and do not necessarily mean these circuits remained powerless after subsequent updates.

Service Restorations in Some Areas of Havana

Amidst these disruptions, the Electric Company also announced power restorations in various sectors of Havana.

At 12:53 AM, circuits PZ9, PZ7, and PZ14 had power restored, followed by circuits PZ1, PZ4, and PZ16 at 1:00 AM.

By 1:09 AM, service was also resumed in circuits S512, S513, and S516, covering parts of San Miguel del Padrón, including neighborhoods like Delicias, San Francisco de Paula, and areas along the Calzada de Güines.

At 1:39 AM, circuit SR850, serving sectors of Cotorro such as Paraíso, Las Granjas, San Pedro, Cruz Verde, and Residencial América, was back online.

However, these restorations do not imply that normal electricity supply has been achieved citywide. New outages may occur simultaneously with restorations, and local malfunctions might still exist.

Cuba's Ongoing Energy Crisis

The blackouts observed in Havana during the early hours are part of a broader energy crisis, marked by inadequate generation capacity, malfunctions in thermoelectric plants, out-of-service units, and fuel issues.

According to the National Electric System report for October 7th, the Electric Union anticipated a deficit of up to 1,820 MW during peak demand hours.

The report also noted an availability of merely 1,210 MW against an expected demand of 3,000 MW during peak times. These figures were forecasts for Wednesday and do not confirm the actual situation on Thursday.

Recent analysis by CiberCuba documented the normalization of extreme blackouts, revealing that at least 23 days within a 30-day period exceeded a maximum real impact of 2,000 MW.

The deterioration of the electric service directly affects daily life. This week, an elderly Cuban woman reported spending 23 hours without power or water, preventing her from cooking and performing basic tasks.

The persistence of power outages once again underscores the government's inability to ensure stable electricity supply, despite promises of recovery and investments in the energy sector.

Meanwhile, thousands of families continue to adapt their lives to the power cuts, without assurance that announced restorations will hold throughout the day.