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A cascade effect that occurred after the shutdown of unit 6 at the 10 de Octubre thermoelectric plant in Nuevitas, Camagüey, is believed to have caused the new general blackout this afternoon in Cuba.
"The cause of the total disconnection of the SEN occurred after the shutdown of Unit No. 6 in Nuevitas. From that moment on, a cascade effect took place in the machines that were online," reported the Electric Union (UNE) on Facebook.
"At this moment, a protocol is being implemented for the gradual recovery of the National Electric System, and micro islands are being activated, which are microsystems designed to supply power to essential centers, hospitals, and aqueducts. The restoration process is directed from the National Load Dispatch Center and is carried out in conjunction with the dispatch centers of each province and the technologies that supply energy to the country, with the presence of Unión Cuba Petróleo," they added, without providing a clear date for the stabilization of the service.
Previously, the UNE reported that the new massive blackout occurred following a total disconnection of the National Electroenergetic System (SEN) at 6:38 p.m.
It is the second total disconnection of the SEN in a single week, set against the backdrop of a severe energy crisis characterized by the aging of thermal power plants, a lack of fuel, and ongoing breakdowns—factors that lead to daily blackouts across much of the country. This situation is further exacerbated by the oil blockade imposed by the Trump Administration.
The first of these widespread blackouts of the week, which are becoming increasingly common, occurred last Monday.
On Friday, the First Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines, Argelio Jesús Abad Vigoa, acknowledged that the distributed electricity generation in Cuba is stalled due to a lack of fuels, which exacerbates the energy crisis affecting the country.
The official described the current situation as the most complex that the SEN has faced so far, during a press conference with journalists and participants of the so-called solidarity convoy "Nuestra América," at the International Press Center in Havana.
Abad explained that the country has gone three months without receiving supplies of diesel, fuel oil, gasoline, aviation jet fuel, and liquefied petroleum gas, essential fuels to sustain various sectors of the economy and also electricity generation.
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