The Havana Electric Company has announced further power outages in Cuba's capital, following the unexpected shutdown of Unit 4 at the "Carlos Manuel de Céspedes" Thermoelectric Plant in Cienfuegos. Through its Facebook page, the company revealed that outages will affect Block #3 from 3:00 PM until after the evening peak at 6:30 PM. Meanwhile, disruptions to Block #4 are expected to last until 6:30 PM.
Residents are urged to conserve electricity to reduce consumption, prevent network overloads, and avoid further service interruptions. These outages add to those previously scheduled by the company for today:
Blocks 1 and 2: Services will be interrupted from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM.
Block 4: Power will be cut from 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM.
Last Sunday, the Cuban Electric Union claimed that the issue with this unit was resolved: "Unit 4 of the Cienfuegos Thermoelectric Plant has reignited its boiler and will synchronize with the SEN by midnight. We remain vigilant," they stated on social media.
All this unfolds as tropical storm Rafael is expected to intensify into a Category 1 or 2 hurricane before reaching Cuban territory. This has heightened fears among citizens regarding the frailty of the island's electrical system.
Weather Threats Compound Electrical Woes
The precarious and insufficient service, recently restored after a total collapse, now faces the threat of adverse weather conditions. Hurricane-force winds and heavy rains from Rafael could once again endanger the country's already vulnerable electrical infrastructure.
As Rafael moves toward western Cuba, concerns grow among the population about a repeat of the chaos caused by Hurricane Oscar, which struck during a major blackout lasting over three days. This left the vast majority of the population without electricity, television, or internet, with only radio as a means of communication.