On Monday morning, Havana's Electric Company announced that electricity has been restored to half of the city's customers following a widespread blackout that has left the country's power grid and citizens in turmoil since Friday afternoon. Currently, 172 circuits are operational, supplying 317 MW and providing electricity to about 50% of the city’s customers.
The company assured that efforts are ongoing to restore power to more customers, dependent on generation capacity. "We ask the public to trust our teams; we will not rest until 100% of Havana's residents have electricity," they emphasized.
In a subsequent statement, the company acknowledged the "complexity of the situation." They reiterated the dedication of their workforce: "When we ask Havana residents for trust, it is because our people are tirelessly working to ensure you have electricity."
The full restoration of service for those still without power hinges on the system's generation capacity, the state entity reiterated. They also affirmed the commitment of "the country's highest authorities" and "electrical workers" to return the situation to normal as swiftly as possible.
Decentralized Power Strategy
Following the disconnection of the National Electric System on Sunday afternoon, the Electric Union (UNE) has devised a plan to segment the power supply into independent regional systems. This approach aims to maintain overall system stability in the event of future outages, as reported by state journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso.
Western provinces, including Havana, will primarily receive energy from the Mariel thermoelectric plant, supported by the nearby power barge, fuel-based generation groups, and other distributed generation in the region, as well as the Santa Cruz thermoelectric plant.
For Matanzas, Cienfuegos, and Villa Clara, the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant will supply electricity, supplemented by distributed generation in these areas.
Central provinces will receive power from Nuevitas and other distributed generation sites. Meanwhile, the eastern region's energy needs will rely on the Renté thermoelectric plant, a power barge in Santiago de Cuba's bay, and facilities in Moa. The Felton plant is expected to join in enhancing the supply in this region soon.
Ongoing Energy Crisis
This regional division aims to mitigate the impacts of potential future failures and bolster energy stability across the island, amidst a severe energy crisis affecting all of Cuba, according to the official journalist's report.
Since the complete shutdown of the National Electric System last Friday at noon, Cubans have been enduring a debilitating and extensive blackout that has brought the nation to a standstill. Despite assurances from the regime to resolve the issue, the crisis has intensified.
On Saturday morning, during efforts to recover the system following Friday's total blackout, the grid failed again. The electricity that had reached a limited number of users and powered the restart of thermoelectric plants via distributed generation vanished, along with hopes of overcoming the crisis.
That same day, the province of Matanzas experienced a total blackout after a failure in the startup of its micro-electrical system. Significant malfunctions have also been reported in Unit 3 of the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes thermoelectric plant in Cienfuegos, and in Generation Block No. 3 of the Antonio Maceo plant, also known as Rente, in Santiago de Cuba. Consequently, a microsystem collapse affected Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo provinces, leaving them without power.