Havana experienced a new massive blackout on the night of this Sunday and into the early hours of Monday, leaving a large part of the capital without electricity for the second time in less than a month.
According to the communications issued by the Electric Company of Havana and the Ministry of Energy and Mines, the cause of the outage stems from a significant breakdown that occurred at the Naranjito substation, which triggered a chain reaction affecting other critical infrastructures of the capital's electrical system.
Broad and simultaneous territorial impact
The Electric Company explained on its official Facebook page that the outage at the Naranjito substation directly affected the Príncipe, Melones, and Tallapiedra substations.
Those cascading failures triggered service interruptions in the electrical circuits of the municipalities of Arroyo Naranjo, Boyeros, Diez de Octubre, Plaza de la Revolución, Cerro, Centro Habana, Habana Vieja, Playa, La Lisa, Marianao, San Miguel del Padrón, Cotorro, Guanabacoa, and Habana del Este.
“Efforts are continuously being made to restore service to the affected consumers,” the company stated, adding that priority was being given to restoring the circuits that supply electricity to hospitals and water supply sources.
Impact on the National Electric Power System
The Ministry of Energy and Mines confirmed that the breakdown not only affected Havana but also had repercussions on the National Electric Power System (SEN).
In an initial communication, the agency explained that the failure caused "the disconnection of the SEN from Mariel 6, ENERGAS, and the Moa motors."
The energy impact, therefore, was not limited to the Havana area.
Subsequently, the ministry reported that the recovery process had begun with the synchronization of the Moa motors and the gradual introduction of ENERGAS Varadero into the SEN.
According to the MINEM, the complete restoration of service is still in progress, while the evaluation of the causes that led to the breakdown in Havana's electrical network continues.
Gradual recovery and prioritization of essential services
According to a statement reproduced by Cubadebate, in the early hours of this Monday the restoration of electricity began in some areas of Cerro, Plaza de la Revolución, and Diez de Octubre.
According to the latest update on the subject, all the hospitals in the capital now have electricity service, as well as the main water supply sources.
As of the closure of this report, it is unclear in how many municipalities in Havana the blackout persists and in how many electricity has been restored.
The estimate from the Unión Eléctrica (UNE) for the peak hour this Sunday was a nationwide impact of up to 1,675 MW. It is assumed that after the breakdown at the Havana substation, the number of blackouts surged.
A recent precedent: The blackout of July 17
On July 17th, Havana had already been the scene of a widespread blackout due to another failure in the power grid.
On that occasion, the Ministry of Energy and Mines reported that the 110 kV substations in Naranjito, Apolo, Melones, San Agustín, Talla Piedra, and Príncipe were affected.
The Melones barges also went out of service, key floating generation units for the power supply in the capital.
In that case, the authorities attributed the incident to "electrical discharges," which triggered the failure of multiple substations and left significant areas of the city without electricity for several hours.
Frequently Asked Questions about Power Outages in Havana
What was the cause of the recent blackout in Havana?
The recent blackout in Havana was caused by a major failure at the Naranjito substation, which generated a ripple effect on other critical infrastructures of the capital's electrical system. The failure affected multiple substations and caused service interruptions in several municipalities of the capital.
Which municipalities in Havana were affected by the blackout?
The blackout affected the municipalities of Arroyo Naranjo, Boyeros, Diez de Octubre, Plaza de la Revolución, Cerro, Centro Habana, Habana Vieja, Playa, La Lisa, Marianao, San Miguel del Padrón, Cotorro, Guanabacoa, and Habana del Este. These areas experienced power service interruptions due to the malfunction at the Naranjito substation and its cascading effects.
How has the blackout affected the National Electroenergetic System (SEN) of Cuba?
The blackout in Havana had significant consequences for Cuba's National Electric System (SEN). According to the Ministry of Energy and Mines, the failure caused the SEN to go offline in Mariel 6, ENERGAS, and motors in Moa. This means that the energy disruption was not confined to the Havana area, but also had a national impact, further complicating the already critical energy situation in the country.
Have measures been taken to restore the electricity service in Havana?
Constant efforts are being made to restore electrical service in the affected areas of Havana. The Electric Company of Havana has indicated that priority is being given to the restoration of the circuits that supply hospitals and water supply sources. In addition, the synchronization of the Moa engines and the gradual entry of ENERGAS Varadero into the National Electric System has begun.
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