Cuba's power system collapses once again: Outage affects millions

The long-standing energy crisis in Cuba has deepened as the national power grid has once again completely failed. The Cuban Ministry of Energy and Mines announced that a collapse occurred in the national power system on Friday; it reported that work has begun to gradually restore service following the outage.

The latest failure is considered at least the sixth major grid collapse recorded across the country since January. While the outage affected millions of people, the restoration of electricity in the capital, Havana, remained at a very limited level.

According to Cuban authorities, the primary cause of the crisis was a failure in the high-voltage transmission lines in the western and central parts of the country. The problem, which began in the western section, spread to the Matanzas region; subsequently, the power grid in the eastern part of the country also disconnected from the system. The official newspaper Granma wrote that adverse and volatile weather conditions exacerbated the problem in the power system.

ELECTRICITY RESTORED TO A LIMITED EXTENT IN HAVANA

According to official data, only 5 percent of users in Havana, which has approximately 862 thousand electricity subscribers, had electricity restored by the evening hours. In regions such as Camagüey, Pinar del Río, and Granma, small-scale independent distribution systems have begun to be established.

It was reported that efforts are being made to prioritize the activation of power systems for hospitals and some emergency service facilities. However, the impact of the outage was not limited to residences; transportation, work routines, air travel, and healthcare services were also directly affected by the disruptions.

AGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND FUEL SHORTAGES DEEPEN THE CRISIS

Cuba's energy system has become fragile due to aging thermal power plants, a lack of spare parts necessary for maintenance, and severe fuel shortages. Even when the national grid is operational, long-term outages occur in many parts of the country.

It is stated that in some regions, power outages exceed 30 hours, and in some parts of the country, they can extend up to 60 hours. The inability to provide electricity for long periods also complicates basic needs such as cooking, water supply, internet, and telephone services.

The Cuban administration points to US sanctions and energy restrictions as one of the main causes of the outages. Washington, on the other hand, argues that aging infrastructure and the state-run economic model play a role in the energy problems on the island.

It is stated that the energy crisis worsened further after the US administration of Donald Trump tightened fuel restrictions on Cuba in January. It was reported that no significant new fuel delivery has been made to Cuba since a Russian tanker delivered fuel to the island in March.