A malfunction at the Agramonte substation resulted in a power outage on Thursday, affecting the municipalities of Colón, Jagüey Grande, Agramonte, Hoyo Colorado, and Bolondrón in Matanzas province. This was reported by the Matanzas Electric Company on their Facebook page.
The company did not specify the technical cause of the failure or provide an estimated time for power restoration. However, they assured that work crews were on site, working diligently to resolve the issue "as soon as possible."
Amidst a National Power Crisis
This outage coincides with an extremely severe national electricity crisis. According to the Electric Union (UNE) report for Thursday, the National Electroenergetic System had a mere 840 MW available at six in the morning, compared to a demand of 2,225 MW, leaving 1,395 MW unmet.
For the peak nighttime demand, the UNE predicted a deficit of 1,860 MW and an estimated shortfall of 1,890 MW, indicating the system is meeting less than a third of the country's needs.
Struggling Infrastructure and Persistent Issues
The situation was similarly dire on Wednesday, with the maximum shortfall reaching 1,883 MW at eight in the evening and persisting throughout the day without any relief, even during the early hours.
Aggravating the problem, several thermoelectric units remain out of service. As of Thursday, the units affected include unit 1 of the Santa Cruz CTE, the Antonio Guiteras CTE unit, unit 2 of the Felton CTE, and unit 3 of the Renté CTE, while three other units were undergoing maintenance.
The Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, Cuba's largest, located in Matanzas, was taken offline on Wednesday at 4:06 p.m. due to a leak in the economizer while producing 180 MW.
Román Pérez Castañeda, the plant's general manager, told the Cuban News Agency that the facility was being cooled down to accurately identify the damaged area before repairs begin. The shutdown will also be used to conduct maintenance tasks that cannot be performed while the plant is operational.
Recurring Failures and Historical Challenges
This is not the first time the Guiteras plant has faltered due to this component. In 2026 alone, the plant has been taken offline at least 17 times, mostly due to economizer failures. This component needs a major repair that would take approximately 180 days—a task that authorities have yet to undertake.
The municipalities affected by the Agramonte substation failure have experienced recent extended blackouts. In mid-October, Colón faced outages up to 41 hours, Jagüey Grande nearly 60 hours, and Bolondrón close to 70 hours without electricity.
The Agramonte substation also has a history of dielectric oil thefts. In October 2024, 100 liters were stolen on two separate occasions. Earlier this month, three individuals were sentenced to prison terms ranging from eight to 15 years for these incidents and similar thefts in other substations across the province.
By the end of August, Matanzas had reported 175 cases of dielectric oil theft, with more than 55,950 liters stolen, 91 transformers damaged, and 43 out of its 98 substations affected, 12 of which were completely out of service.
Understanding Cuba's Electricity Crisis
What caused the recent power outage in Matanzas?
The power outage was caused by a malfunction at the Agramonte substation, affecting several municipalities in the Matanzas province.
How severe is the national electricity crisis in Cuba?
The crisis is extremely severe, with the national system able to meet less than a third of the demand, leading to widespread outages and significant deficits in available power.
What is the status of the Antonio Guiteras power plant?
The Antonio Guiteras plant is currently offline due to a leak in the economizer. It has experienced multiple shutdowns this year due to similar issues.