Guiteras Power Plant Fails Again: Briefly Connected to Cuba's Electrical Grid Before Shutting Down

The Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant, Cuba's largest, experienced yet another failure on Tuesday at 10:11 PM, as reported by the Electric Union (UNE) on their Facebook page.

The official statement noted that the cause of this latest outage remains under investigation, adding to an ongoing series of breakdowns that seem endless.

This particular failure is especially notable due to the plant's brief operational stint—lasting a mere five minutes.

Public Reaction and Growing Frustration

Just the night before, the UNE had enthusiastically announced that the Matanzas facility had synchronized with the National Electric System at 10:06 PM and was "increasing load."

The announcement of its short-lived reconnection unleashed a wave of sarcastic comments. "Let's see how many minutes it lasts," wrote one user. Another predicted, "It'll go out again soon, just a matter of minutes."

A third summed up the collective weariness with sarcasm: "Great, now we'll see an improvement. Instead of 40-hour blackouts, it'll be 39."

Disbelief mixed with the desperation of those who had been without power for hours or even days. "Who is this electricity for? I've been without power for 20 hours," asked one commenter.

From Encrucijada, another user wrote, "Let's see if after almost 60 hours, the municipality gets at least an hour, because it's too much already." Meanwhile, a resident from Pinar del Río reported 42 consecutive hours without electricity: "This is not a life."

Technical Woes and Historical Failures

The Guiteras plant has experienced at least 17 unplanned outages throughout 2026.

Its track record in October alone is devastating: the plant went offline on October 4 after repairs on the high-temperature reheater, shut down again on October 9 due to a leak in the steam tempering line, and suffered a new malfunction on October 14 in the economizer of its boiler, with additional damage to the low-temperature reheater.

Between October 15 and 17, technicians replaced 11 tube segments and conducted hydraulic and pneumatic tests to verify the welding work. The culmination of these efforts was a five-minute connection.

Commissioned in 1988 and located in Matanzas, the plant has been in operation for over 38 years without comprehensive maintenance since 2010. Although it has a nominal capacity of up to 316 MW, its current condition renders it a constant source of uncertainty for the national electrical grid.

Cuba's Escalating Energy Crisis

On October 17, the UNE went so far as to describe it as "the largest and most efficient unit block in Cuba," a statement that sparked widespread ridicule on social media while the plant remained out of service.

This recent failure exacerbates an already dire energy crisis.

On Tuesday, the Cuban electrical system had a capacity of only 920 MW against a demand of 2,820 MW, resulting in a projected deficit of 1,850 MW. Blackouts lasting 20, 40, and even more than 60 consecutive hours have become routine in provinces like Matanzas, Pinar del Río, and Villa Clara, with some towns exceeding 70 hours without electricity in recent days.

The collapse of the electrical system also affects water supply: the regime admitted that 2.5 million Cubans—32% of those receiving water through networks—have interrupted service, with 88% of issues attributed to electrical problems. This desperation has led to spontaneous protests in Artemisa, Granma, and Cienfuegos.

One Cuban expressed his frustration on the UNE's profile: "Enough already: whether Guiteras is in or out, it's the same garbage, the same torture of blackouts for the unfortunate continues. The ones who need to go out and not come back are those in positions who make promises and don't deliver."