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A massive failure in the electrical networks of Havana caused new interruptions in the power supply and the sudden shutdown of several key generating units this Tuesday at noon, according to reports from the Electric Union (UNE) on its official channels.
The incident occurred around 13:32 hours and affected several strategic points of the national electrical system.
The UNE confirmed that the Unit 8 of the Máximo Gómez Thermoelectric Power Plant in Mariel, the backup engines of Mariel itself, the floating barge in Regla, and a machine from the Energás Boca de Jaruco plant in Mayabeque have gone out of service.
The state agency later expanded on the details of the incident that occurred at 1:32 PM in Havana, noting that the failure in the 110 kV networks caused a total impact of 215 MW in the capital and surrounding areas.
According to the company led by Alfredo Valdés López, the technical teams are working to restore the service, and part of the generation has already started to reintegrate into the national electrical system.
The state-owned company stated that the units of CTE Máximo Gómez and Energás Boca de Jaruco are already in the process of being restarted, while work continues to recover the remaining affected generating sources.
The new setback comes amid the worst energy crisis that Cuba has faced in recent months, with the National Electric System (SEN) experiencing 16 consecutive days with deficits exceeding 1,800 MW.
Just the day before, the country experienced a maximum outage of 2,007 MW at 6:40 PM, leaving more than half of the national territory without electricity for several hours.
In Havana and the western part of the country, power outages have become frequent and prolonged, affecting both households and productive sectors, hospitals, and basic service centers.
The breakdown this Tuesday could worsen the situation for the evening peak hours, when the UNE already anticipated a deficit of more than 1,900 MW, even without this new event.
So far, the company has not provided details about the exact cause of the failure. In the meantime, Cubans face another day of heat, darkness, and frustration, with an electrical system that relies on miraculous static, patched together and sustained by prayers in the face of growing precariousness.
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