Millions of people in Cuba were plunged into darkness for two days after a major power plant failure caused a widespread blackout. The outage, which began on Thursday, was the worst the country had experienced in years, affecting about half of Cuba initially and then the entire island.
The blackout was triggered by the failure of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant in Matanzas Province, east of Havana. This incident was unprecedented in modern times, with the country only facing similar situations during powerful hurricanes. The power outage came amidst a tropical storm developing into Hurricane Oscar, the 10th hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, prompting hurricane watches in eastern provinces.
Authorities attributed the outage to increased demand from air conditioners in homes and businesses, exacerbated by breakdowns in old and poorly maintained thermoelectric plants. The lack of hard currency due to U.S. sanctions and insufficient fuel supply also contributed to the grid failure.
While Cuba has faced unstable electricity supply leading to frequent outages, this blackout marked one of the most severe incidents in recent years. The government had to implement emergency measures, including reducing demand, suspending classes, shutting down state-owned institutions, and cancelling non-essential services to manage the crisis.
The recurring power issues in Cuba have previously led to public demonstrations and political tensions. Changes to electricity rates for small- and medium-sized companies are now being considered to address the situation. The state-owned power company is working on distributed generation solutions and restarting gas-fired thermoelectric plants to restore power across the country.
Cuba heavily relies on thermoelectric plants for power generation, with the need to import fuel due to insufficient domestic crude oil production. Efforts to upgrade the electrical grid with alternative energy sources, including solar power, are underway. President Miguel Díaz-Canel has emphasised the government’s commitment to resolving the energy crisis promptly.
As Cuba grapples with the aftermath of the grid failure, the focus remains on restoring power to all affected areas and ensuring a more stable and sustainable energy supply for the future.