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In the midst of power outages, fuel shortages, and an unrelenting energy crisis, the Cuban regime presents as an "innovation" what sounds to many citizens like a setback, having replaced diesel ovens with manufactured gas and investing in solar panels to try to sustain bread production in Havana.
According to a report published by the official newspaper Granma, the Cuban Bread Network in the capital is considering installing solar panels in 50% of its bakeries and converting oil-fueled ovens to operate with gas produced in the country.
The measure, company executives cited by the media claim, would allow for baking to continue even during power outages and reduce dependence on imported diesel.
The general director of the company, Maruan Fee Fernández, acknowledged that the situation has been "very tough" due to the "total blockade of fuels" and admitted that they have had to "reinvent themselves" to ensure the production of bread. Currently, out of the 51 bakeries in Havana, 47 are operational, while the rest are closed for maintenance, according to official information.
The government narrative presents technological reconversion as a step towards "energy autonomy." However, this initiative comes just days after several provinces in the country, including Havana, resumed the use of wood-fired ovens to produce bread in the midst of 2026, due to a lack of electricity and fuel, an image that many Cubans interpret as a symbol of economic decline.
Although the 200-gram bread remains priced at 120 pesos, as stated by the company, the daily reality for thousands of families is still marked by long lines, service interruptions, and the uncertainty of whether this basic food item will reach the table.
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