On Friday, all of Cuba was plunged into darkness after the island's main power plant suddenly shut down.
An unexpected power outage at the Antonio Guiteras power plant in Cuba caused the country's power system to be “completely shut down at 11 a.m.,” the Cuban Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) announced. Posted in X. “Union Electrica is working on the restoration.”
The Antonio Guiteras power plant in Matanzas province is the island nation's main thermoelectric power plant. According to CiberCuba, a digital news outlet focused on Cuba;
There don't seem to be any street lights on the streets of Cuba's capital, Havana, only a few traffic police officers are on duty, and the sound of a few generators is loud, as many people can't afford them. CNN reported that only one could be heard. reported.
About 4 hours later, Minem said Part of the reason is that it considers “the condition of each thermoelectric power plant, fuel availability, and network conditions.”
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez called It said in part that the nationwide power outage was “very sensitive” and the government was “giving absolute priority to addressing and resolving it”.
Power has since been restored in some areas of the country, MINEM announced. (Related: Ecuador suffers nationwide power outage)
Cuba is suffering from an energy crisis, and the past three days have been the worst, the country's Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz said. said Friday. This is due to fuel shortages, domestic infrastructure issues and increased demand, he added.
The breakdown that plagued Santiago de Cuba's Antonio Maceo factory could end on Friday, but two other factories may undergo maintenance that could last six months, Union said. said Alfredo López Valdez, Electrica's general director.
López Valdés added that Cuba imported more than 100,000 air conditioning systems in 2023, which is an example of increased electricity consumption.
Edrey Rocha González, general director of the Cuban Patrol union, said weather conditions delayed fuel deliveries by tanker ships earlier this month.
Officials also pointed to tougher U.S. sanctions and hurricanes, CNN reported.
López Valdés said Cuba is building 31 solar parks, each expected to produce 21 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
#Cuba
Solares Park construction plan.
From 2025 onwards, we are regularly developing plans to increase the number of MW generados for energy renewal. pic.twitter.com/YuKTK9PcFm— Minister of Energy Minas de Cuba🇨🇺 (@EnergiaMinasCub) October 18, 2024
Prime Minister Marrero Cruz said Cubans need to “save as much as possible.”
As part of power-saving measures, the communist-run country closed schools on Fridays and weekends, ordered nightclubs and recreation centers to close, and allowed only “essential workers” to work, CNN reported. .
