A video released online by a Havana-based journalist sheds light on the breakdown that occurred Friday night at the Diezmero electrical substation in San Miguel del Padrón, triggering a complete collapse of Cuba's national power grid. Mario Herrera, from Canal Habana, visited the site to investigate the causes of the malfunction and the prospects for recovery as Cuba endures its fourth nationwide blackout in less than six months.
Herrera spoke with Ariel Mas Castellanos, head of Substations for the Havana Electric Company, who disclosed that the failure stemmed from the insulation of a line component, which has been in operation for many years. "It's aged," he admitted. It was disheartening to hear the specialist explain that due to the state of Cuba's system, replacing the component is not feasible as it is so outdated that similar parts are unavailable on the international market, making it impossible to find a substitute.
"It's quite challenging because we are not allowed access to these types of components in the market," he elaborated. The immediate solution, according to Mas Castellanos, involves removing the faulty element, maintaining the line's continuity, and putting it back into operation. The official stated that once power generation resumes, service to the capital can be restored, affirming that everything is ready for that moment. However, he did not comment on the situation in the rest of the country.
"All conditions are prepared to begin, as soon as generation reaches this point, to start distributing, continue feeding, connect with other substations, reach Mariel and the power plants, create as robust an island as possible, and gradually restore service," he explained.
In the early hours of Saturday, the Electric Union announced that service recovery is underway through "microsystems," a strategy that allows energy supply to specific areas and vital centers while efforts are made to restore generation at thermoelectric plants. So far, 110 MW have been delivered through these microsystems across 12 provinces.
Efforts continue to progressively connect these isolated systems with the main power plants to reestablish system stability.
Understanding Cuba's Electrical Infrastructure Challenges
What caused the nationwide blackout in Cuba?
The blackout was caused by a failure in the insulation of a line component at the Diezmero electrical substation, which has been in use for many years and is significantly aged.
Why can't the faulty component be replaced?
The component is so outdated that similar replacements are not available on the international market, making it impossible to substitute the faulty part.
How is Cuba attempting to restore power?
Cuba is using a strategy called "microsystems" to supply energy to specific areas and vital centers while working to restore generation at thermoelectric plants.