The Cuban Ministry of Energy and Mines announced a complete collapse of the National Electric System (SEN) on Friday morning, resulting in a nationwide blackout following the shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant. At 11:07 a.m., the system disconnected entirely under operational strains, as reported shortly after 12:08 p.m. local time in a now-deleted post on X by the Ministry.
The Ministry's brief statement mentioned ongoing efforts to restore the electric system but offered no further details about the circumstances leading to the shutdown of the Guiteras plant, Cuba's largest and most critical power station located in Matanzas province. As of the publication of this report, Cuba's Electric Union (UNE) had not updated their Facebook profile regarding the Guiteras plant's disconnection.
Unexplained Deletion Raises Questions
The reason behind the Ministry's decision to remove the announcement from X remains unclear, adding to the confusion surrounding the incident. Earlier in the day, the UNE's report indicated that seven thermoelectric units were offline: four due to malfunctions and three for maintenance. Surprisingly, the Guiteras plant was not listed, despite UNE's director having previously warned on Thursday about potential maintenance shutdowns for both Felton and Guiteras.
System Strain and Maintenance Challenges
The UNE's update on October 18 highlighted issues with unit 1 of the Santa Cruz CTE, unit 2 of the Felton CTE, and units 3 and 6 of the Renté CTE. Meanwhile, unit 2 of the Santa Cruz CTE, unit 4 of the Cienfuegos CTE, and unit 5 of the Renté CTE were undergoing maintenance.
On Thursday evening, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz appeared in a troubled broadcast on Cuban radio and television alongside Ministry of Energy and Mines officials to address the ongoing energy crisis. Marrero Cruz emphasized the severity of the situation, warning that no immediate resolution is in sight.