Newest grid collapse follows a string of nationwide blackouts in latest months.
Cuba’s nationwide energy grid has collapsed once again, leaving hundreds of thousands of individuals with out electrical energy.
The grid failed on Friday night about 8:15pm (00:15 GMT) after a breakdown at Diezmero substation within the capital, Havana, kicked off a series response that shut down energy era throughout the island, based on officers at operator Union Electrica (UNE).
At dawn on Saturday, UNE mentioned it was producing solely a trickle of electrical energy – about 225 MW, or lower than 10 % of complete demand. Authorities mentioned parallel circuits had been serving to present electrical energy to key sectors, reminiscent of hospitals.
“A number of provinces have parallel circuits and generator items are beginning to be synchronised” with the nationwide grid, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel mentioned on X.
The island of 9.7 million inhabitants had already suffered three nationwide blackouts within the ultimate months of 2024, two of them lasting a number of days.
Whereas the newest grid collapse is the primary one this yr, it additionally comes because the island battles one among its greatest financial crises in 30 years. Hit by United States sanctions, Cuba has for years relied on subsidised Venezuelan oil, however that offer is more and more precarious as the federal government in Caracas grapples with its own economic problems.
“Proper now, nobody is aware of when the ability will come again on,” resident Abel Bonne instructed the Reuters information company on Havana’s Malecon waterfront boulevard early on Saturday.
Individuals in Havana have already been dwelling with near-daily energy cuts of 4 or 5 hours, whereas these exterior the capital have been dealing with rolling blackouts that peaked at 20 hours a day in latest weeks.
“My God, that is horrible, we’re in for a darkish weekend,” Karen Gutierrez, a 32-year-old ice cream vendor in Havana, instructed the AFP information company.
Andres Lopez, a 67-year-old resident of the japanese province of Holguin, added that he had not been anticipating yet one more blackout so quickly.
“It actually bugs me,” he mentioned. “Let’s see after they get it [the power] again on.”
Cuba blames its financial woes on a Chilly Warfare-era US commerce embargo, an online of legal guidelines and laws that complicate monetary transactions and the acquisition of necessities reminiscent of gasoline and spare elements.
US President Donald Trump lately tightened sanctions on the island’s communist-run authorities, pledging to revive a “robust” coverage in direction of the longtime US foe.
In the meantime, to make up for its electrical energy shortfall, Cuba is racing to put in a sequence of at the very least 55 photo voltaic farms with Chinese language know-how by the top of this yr.
Native authorities have mentioned these services will generate some 1,200 MW of energy, about 12 % of the nationwide complete.
