Power being restored in Cuba following nationwide blackout

Cuba’s National Electric Union has reported that power restoration efforts are underway after a nationwide blackout on the island.

The power grid collapsed at 9:14am local time yesterday (10 September), leaving most of the country’s 9.7 million residents without electricity, according to a Reuters report.

The country’s energy ministry and National Electric Union were quoted as stating: “There has been a total disconnection of the Electric System.”

Investigations into the causes of the grid failure are ongoing.

State-run media has confirmed that airports and essential services, including hospitals and water pumps, are operational due to backup systems.

The blackout marked the fourth such occurrence in less than a year.

Previously, it had taken between two and three days for power to be fully restored after similar incidents, the report said.

Prior to the latest grid collapse, residents were already enduring daily blackouts lasting 16 hours or more.

This series of blackouts has highlighted the fragile state of Cuba’s power generation system, which has been in near-total disarray since late last year, according to the news agency.

Cuba’s challenges have been exacerbated by these grid failures, as the country grapples with fuel, food, and other shortages, alongside its most severe economic crisis in decades.

The nation’s oil-fired power plants, which are outdated and have struggled to maintain power, faced a crisis last year as oil imports from key suppliers such as Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico decreased significantly.

This April, Spain and Portugal also experienced significant power outages.

These blackouts led to the grounding of aircraft, halting of public transport, closure of stores, suspension of operations in Spanish oil refineries, and disruption of routine hospital operations, Reuters reported at the time.