Cuba Reconnects Electrical Grid, Restoring Power to Most of Havana
Cuba has reconnected its national electrical grid, restoring power to much of Havana after a two-day outage affecting 10 million people. Two-thirds of electric customers in the city regained power as major oil-fired power plants came back online. The nation faces ongoing energy challenges, linked to U.S. sanctions, while looking to develop renewable energy solutions.
Cuba has successfully reconnected its national electrical grid, restoring power to most of Havana by late Sunday, according to energy officials. This comes nearly two days after a widespread outage affected about 10 million residents. By Sunday evening, two-thirds of Havana’s electric customers had their power restored, with expectations for an increase overnight. Cheers resonated throughout the city as lights flickered back on following the blackout.
The grid failure occurred on Friday evening when a transmission line at a substation in Havana shorted, leading to a complete shutdown of power generation across the island. This incident, paralyzing commerce and causing streetlights and stoplights to go dark, hit the populous capital hard. The city’s recovery hinges on the operations of key power plants, Felton and Antonio Guiteras, which were online and generating electricity by late Sunday, marking a critical step in the restoration process.
The westernmost Pinar del Rio province, the last to receive power, experienced restoration just before sunset. Notably, this grid collapse marks the country’s fourth nationwide blackout since October. The previously outdated oil-fired power plants have been facing chronic challenges due to reduced oil imports from nations like Venezuela and Mexico. Before the collapse, many residents had already endured prolonged blackouts exceeding 20 hours.
Despite the progress made on Sunday, officials reported that electricity generation was only one-third of typical daily demand, leaving many without power. Schools in the provinces of Pinar del Río, Artemisa, and Mayabeque will remain closed until Tuesday to ensure proper conditions for students. The Cuban government attributes the ongoing energy crisis to the longstanding U.S. trade embargo and recent sanctions imposed by the Trump administration. In response, Cuba is striving to establish large solar farms with Chinese assistance to decrease reliance on outdated oil-generation methods.
In summary, Cuba’s electrical grid has been reconnected, restoring power to much of Havana following a significant two-day outage. While progress has been made, the island still faces challenges with energy generation, exacerbated by sanctions and infrastructure issues. The government aims to invest in renewable energy sources to mitigate the ongoing crisis and enhance power stability in the future.
Original Source: gazette.com
