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The Ministry of Energy and Mines of Cuba reported that at 5:01 AM on Thursday, the National Electroenergetic System (SEN) was reconnected from Guantánamo to Pinar del Río, following the massive blackout caused by the unexpected shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric power plant in Matanzas.
The official entity stated on X that the electrical system has restored its interconnection across the entire country while the gradual incorporation of generation units continues.
However, this reconnection does not mean that the service has been restored for all citizens, as large areas of the country remain without electricity or with unstable service.
The reconnection is progressing, but the service remains unstable
Official media reported that the restoration of the SEN is progressing through the creation of electrical microsystems that are later synchronized with each other. According to an update from the government newspaper Girón, the system was already interconnected from Guantánamo to Matanzas, while another microsystem was operating from Mayabeque to Pinar del Río.
The authorities indicated that the goal is to increase the available capacity as more generation units come online. However, they warned that while these microsystems are being established, the supply may prove to be unstable.
This implies that electricity may be temporarily restored in some circuits and then interrupted again shortly after, a common situation during the recovery processes of the national electrical system.
Havana recovers part of the electricity service
In the capital, the Electric Company of Havana reported that partial recovery of the service began in the early morning following the system collapse.
According to the report issued at 5:28 a.m., 20 substations and 98 distribution circuits had been restored, allowing service to be returned to 296,467 customers in the city.
According to the state-owned company, this figure represents about 146 megawatts supplied, equivalent to 34% of the total users in Havana. Authorities also stated that the reconnection of services deemed essential has been prioritized during the process.
The breakdown at Guiteras worsened the energy crisis
The massive blackout was caused by the unexpected shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras thermo-electric power plant, the largest generating unit in the country.
According to the technical director of the plant, Román Pérez Castañeda, the breakdown was caused by the rupture of a pipe in the lower area of the boiler, which led to a water leak, loss of airtightness due to gases, and a fire that was controlled by the Fire Department.
The authorities indicated that the repair of the thermoelectric plant could take at least 72 hours.
The shutdown of the Guiteras left a large part of the National Electro-Energy System without electricity, causing blackouts from the western region of Las Tunas to Pinar del Río and exacerbating an energy crisis that has been affecting millions of Cubans for months.
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