Following an initial restoration of service to 14 circuits—some fully and others partially—the Electric Company in Santiago de Cuba announced another complete power outage just an hour later. This disruption was attributed to a sudden spike in demand, which destabilized the system and led to service cuts across all circuits.
In a message shared on Telegram, the Electric Company stated, "Dear customers, currently no circuit is receiving electric service due to increased load causing system instability." The company further urged customers to refrain from using high-consumption appliances as soon as power is restored, emphasizing that this is crucial to prevent further system collapses.
The Electric Company suggested that by doing so, a gradual stabilization of the power supply could be achieved. They stressed the importance of avoiding sharp demand surges, which the system cannot yet support, to prevent another collapse. "It's vital that everyone contributes to the gradual stabilization of the electro-energy system," the Electric Company of Santiago de Cuba highlighted in their statement.
Currently, the eastern region is experiencing the most severe challenges. After the National Electric System collapsed last Friday, the No. 3 generation block of the Antonio Maceo Thermal Power Plant, also known as Rente in Santiago de Cuba, was reactivated on Sunday. However, a few hours later, the situation unexpectedly worsened, complicating the power supply's stability once more.
The plant, which was in the process of increasing its load for synchronization, encountered a malfunction that led to a system collapse. As a result, a microsystem connecting the provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo failed, leaving them without power.
Vicente de la O Levy, the Minister of Energy and Mines, provided updates on the restoration of the Cuban electricity system and anticipated significant improvements by Monday afternoon with the activation of the CTE Antonio Guiteras, which he reported as ready.
"In the western part of the country, especially in Havana, the situation has improved significantly, with over 56% of customers receiving electricity. We aim to maintain uninterrupted service until two or three in the afternoon, when further improvements are expected with the CTE Antonio Guiteras coming online," he mentioned in an interview with the Presidential Communication Team of Cuba.
The minister specified that starting from that time, "a significant capacity will be added," and with the CTE Antonio Guiteras functioning, along with the generation from Hanabanilla and plants in the central and eastern provinces, about 200 MW will be transferred to those regions.