Cuba Restores Power to Havana Following Major Grid Failure

Cuba reconnected its national electrical grid, restoring power to much of Havana after a two-day outage that affected 10 million people. By late Sunday, two-thirds of Havana’s clients had power restored, although many areas still faced electricity shortages. The blackouts are attributed to aging infrastructure and U.S. sanctions, prompting efforts to develop solar power solutions.

Cuba has successfully reconnected its national electrical grid, restoring power to most of Havana after an island-wide outage affected 10 million people. By late Sunday, the local electric company reported that around two-thirds of Havana’s clients had their power restored, with expectations for further increases overnight. The city celebrated as lights returned after two days of darkness following the outage.

The power failure originated from a transmission line short circuit at a Havana substation, leading to a complete shutdown of power generation throughout the island. The outage paralyzed business operations, preventing many restaurants from serving customers and disrupting traffic across the densely populated city of two million residents.

By late Sunday, the two largest oil-fired power plants, Felton and Antonio Guiteras, were back online, contributing significantly to the restoration efforts. Additionally, power was reestablished in western Pinar del Rio, the last province to receive electricity before nightfall.

This recent blackout is the fourth nationwide power failure in Cuba since October, exacerbated by the deteriorating conditions of its aging oil-fired power plants, which have been struggling since oil imports from Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico diminished last year. Even before the recent collapse, daily blackouts had been common, sometimes lasting up to 20 hours.

Despite improvements in power restoration, officials indicated that electricity generation was only at one-third of the typical daily demand, leaving many residents without power. As a precaution, schools in Pinar del Río, Artemisa, and Mayabeque provinces will remain closed until Tuesday to ensure favorable conditions for students.

Cuban officials attribute the ongoing energy crisis to a U.S. trade embargo dating back to the Cold War and recent sanctions imposed by former President Trump. To mitigate its dependence on outdated oil-fired generation, the Cuban government is focusing on developing large solar farms with assistance from China.

Cuba has made significant progress in restoring power to Havana after a massive electrical grid failure that affected 10 million people. The restoration involved reactivating major power plants, but many residents remain without electricity due to low generation capacity. The ongoing energy crisis is tied to U.S. sanctions and the depletion of oil imports, prompting the government to explore solar energy development to enhance resilience.

Original Source: gazette.com