Another night without electricity in Cuba, where Hurricane Oscar is approaching

The hurricane called “Oscar” is expected to hit the island of Cuba in the coming hours, risking further affecting the population who spent an extra night without electricity, from Saturday October 19 to Sunday October 20, due to a giant blackout. .

Accompanied by winds of 139 kilometers per hour (km/h), Oscar is expected to reach eastern Cuba during the day on Sunday, where heavy rains are expected, according to the American National Hurricane Center (NHC). Authorities in the east of the island “are already working hard to protect the population and economic resources, given the imminence of Hurricane Oscar”assured Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in a message published Saturday evening on X.

In another message on this social network, the Cuban presidency reported progress in restoring the electricity system. “Sixteen percent of consumers already have electricity and approximately 500 megawatts are being generated. The system will continue to increase its load in the coming hours »she said. As of Saturday evening, most neighborhoods in Havana were still in the dark, except for hotels and hospitals equipped with emergency generators and a few rare homes that have this type of equipment.

“Energy emergency”

In Cuba, electricity is produced by eight dilapidated thermoelectric power plants, sometimes broken down or undergoing maintenance, as well as several floating power plants – which the government rents to Turkish companies – and generators. But the general blackout, which began on Thursday, is notably due to the cessation of electricity production at the Antonio-Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the largest on the island, located in the province of Matanzas, two hours from Havana. This plant has experienced several major incidents in recent years which have damaged its operations.

Recognizing a situation of“energy emergency”, The Cuban president explained Thursday that the country was facing difficulties in purchasing the fuel necessary to power its power stations, because of the strengthening of the embargo that Washington has imposed on the island since 1962.

In September 2022, the island had already experienced a widespread blackout after the passage of Hurricane Ian, which hit the west of the island. Completely restoring electricity took several days in the capital and several weeks across the island.