Cuba completely deprived of electricity following the shutdown of its main thermal power station

The shutdown of Cuba’s main thermal power plant caused a breakdown in the island’s entire electrical system, the Ministry of Energy and Mines said on Friday, October 18. This paralysis still deprived 10 million residents of power on Saturday.

“There will be no respite” as long as the service is not “fully recovered”declared President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Friday evening, during a crisis meeting, broadcast by state television.

“The system is without electricity throughout the country”after the shutdown of the Antonio-Guiteras thermal power plant, in the center-west of the country, announced at midday on state television Lazaro Guerra, general director of electricity at the Ministry of Energy and mines. Mr. Guerra said that when the power plant shut down, “the system has collapsed”causing a giant breakdown.

Early Friday evening, the national electricity company (UNE) claimed to have generated, thanks to “microsystems” annexes, a minimum current level, which should be used to restart thermoelectric plants and floating generators in several provinces of the country, and which already benefits some 19,000 people across the island. But as night fell, Havana’s wide avenues were plunged into darkness, except for points of light provided by some hotels, hospitals and a few private restaurants or bars that could run generators, the Agency noted. France-Presse (AFP).

“We are going through a terrible situation with this cut”testifies, on the verge of tears, Betsabe Valdes, 40, who came to get some fresh air on an avenue in central Havana to avoid the heat of her apartment. “We don’t have gas, we don’t have electricity, life is difficult because we have a little girl”she adds, pointing to her 1-year-old niece. “Small children and the elderly are those who suffer the most”she continues.

On Thursday, the Cuban president announced that Cuba was in a situation of“energy emergency” due to the difficulties in purchasing the fuel necessary to power its power stations, due to the strengthening of the embargo that Washington has imposed on the communist island since 1962. “It is yet another demonstration of all the problems that the blockade is causing us”he insisted Friday evening.

“C’est aberrant”Eloy Font, an 80-year-old retiree living in central Havana, told AFP. “This demonstrates the fragility of our electricity system (…) there are no reserves, there is nothing to keep this country on its feet, we live from day to day”he cursed.

Obsolete power plants

For three months, Cubans have suffered from recurring power cuts that have become more and more frequent. On Thursday, the national energy deficit, which hovered around 30%, reached 50%, reinforcing the exasperation of the population. Classes were suspended at all levels in the country until Monday, and all entertainment venues were closed.

The first restrictions date back to March, with the government’s increasing difficulties in sourcing fuel and parts needed to operate and repair the country’s aging thermoelectric power plants. In recent weeks, in several provinces, outages have lasted more than twenty hours a day.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero announced the suspension of all non-essential public services in order to prioritize the supply of electricity to hospitals, businesses and homes.

On the island, electricity is produced from eight dilapidated thermal power plants, sometimes broken down or under maintenance, as well as several floating power plants, which the government rents to Turkish companies, and generators. Most of this infrastructure requires fuel to operate.

The island is currently experiencing its worst crisis in three decades, with shortages of food and medicine and chronic power cuts. These had been one of the triggers of the unprecedented anti-government demonstrations of July 11, 2021. In September 2022, the island had already experienced a widespread blackout after the passage of Hurricane Ian, which had hit the west of the island.