As Cuba grapples with its failing national power grid, millions of citizens find themselves enduring the aftermath of severe outages, both complete and partial, that underscore the ongoing recovery efforts. The situation took a turn for the worse this Saturday morning when the electrical system, already fragile from a major blackout that hit Friday afternoon, collapsed once again.
Efforts to restore power had briefly succeeded, providing electricity to a limited number of users and kickstarting the thermoelectric plants through distributed generation. However, this progress was short-lived as the power supply vanished again, dashing hopes of overcoming the crisis. The Cuban Electric Union (UNE) made another attempt to salvage the situation, and at one point, it seemed that 11% of the country's total demand had been restored. Yet, another failure dashed these efforts, plunging the system back into disarray.
Official communications were sparse, adding to the anxiety felt across the nation. At 10:31 PM, Havana's Electric Company issued a statement reporting a "total disconnection" of the power system minutes earlier, at 10:25 PM. This announcement echoed across officialist social media, including the Canal Habana TV station. The message was soon revised to indicate a "total disconnection of the western microsystem." These updates have since disappeared from the state company's Telegram account.
Western Subsystem Takes a Hit
The Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) later clarified on social media that the outage affected only the "western subsystem," specifying the disconnection occurred at 10:15 PM, ten minutes earlier than initially reported by Havana's Electric Company. "Restoration of the Electric System remains complex. Another disconnection of the western subsystem happened around 10:15," MINEM stated, emphasizing ongoing recovery efforts.
Prior to the latest setbacks, state media outlets had reported minor advancements. According to Cubadebate, 121 circuits in the capital had regained power. Another update noted that the system was generating 695 MW, with three thermoelectric plants in the process of starting up. "Operating stably: Energás Boca de Jaruco, the Mariel floating power plant at full capacity, and the first engine at the Mariel site has started," an official update reported.
Continuing Challenges Across the Island
Despite these small victories, the improvements unraveled past 10 PM, especially in the western subsystem. In other parts of the island, modest progress was noted. "In the central area, there's a microsystem ensuring some coverage, aiming to reach Energás Varadero to initiate startup and channel energy to the Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant," was the message conveyed.
This situation highlights a truth the Cuban regime tries to conceal: the country's main thermoelectric plant remains dysfunctional or incapable of syncing with the national grid. As of this writing, the nation's thermoelectric plants appear either offline or in startup phases, with no energy contributed to the grid. The central subsystem still awaits the activation of Nuevitas' unit 5.
Eastern Region's Status Unclear
What about Cuba's eastern region? According to Cubadebate, "the Moa engines are operating stably, and engines at the Santiago de Cuba floating power plant have started." It's unclear if the latest "total disconnection of the western microsystem," initially reported as a complete grid collapse, impacted the central and eastern subsystems.
On a somewhat positive note, Cubadebate reported that "fuel is available to start Havana's floating power plants." This is the daunting scenario faced by the beleaguered power grid on this Sunday. As the regime's authorities note, the situation "remains complex." After 48 hours without electricity, Cubans are expressing their frustration in the streets, banging pots and demanding solutions, as seen in social media reports.
With time running out, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel and the regime—held responsible for the current plight despite blaming the "blockade"—are bracing for a tense Sunday, hoping for divine intervention from Our Lady of Light.