Major power plant failure triggers blackout across much of Cuba

A malfunction at a key thermal power plant has caused a widespread blackout across much of Cuba, leaving large parts of the country without electricity and disrupting gas supplies in parts of the capital, Havana.

The outage occurred after an unexpected shutdown at the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Power Plant, one of the country’s main electricity generating facilities, according to the state electric utility Unión Eléctrica, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The shutdown affected large sections of the national grid, cutting power across areas stretching from Pinar del Río Province in the far west to Camagüey Province in the central-eastern part of the island. Electricity was also lost in Las Tunas Province after substations malfunctioned, leaving only the easternmost provinces with power.

In Havana, the disruption also affected gas distribution. The Cuban National Gas Company said the Playa Marianao gas supply network had been interrupted due to the shutdown of the national power grid.

Officials said the technical failure at the generating station involved problems in the boiler system, including leaks in the superheater and other components. Román Pérez, the plant’s technical director, said the main objective of the repairs was to eliminate the malfunction and reduce water losses caused by the leaks. Repairs at the plant could take three to four days.

"The ​main objective is to reduce water consumption by eliminating the malfunction in the boiler's superheater and other existing leaks," Giron quoted Perez as saying.

The blackout affected most of the island, including the capital, as the government faces growing pressure on its energy sector. Cuba has experienced a series of major power outages in recent years amid fuel shortages and aging infrastructure.

The country has also struggled with reduced oil shipments from Venezuela, its main supplier, following the capture of ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

By Sabina Mammadli