04 / 10
Cuba’s grid collapses nationwide
Cuba reconnected its grid after a nationwide blackout, but power cuts are expected to continue.
What happened
Cuba’s national grid suffered a total disconnection on Friday after a transmission-line failure in central Cuba, with unstable weather also cited. Authorities restored the nationwide connection the next day and began gradual local recovery. UNE warned that generation shortfalls would continue to cause outages after repeated failures this year.
Numbers
- 9.4 millionPeople affected across the island — Island population
- 30 hoursTime to restore the connection — About six hours faster
- 48%Havana residents with power — On Saturday night
Questions
- Why have outages become more frequent?
- Cuba relies heavily on imported fuel, while ageing thermal plants and limited generation capacity have constrained supply for years.
- How does grid restoration work?
- Operators restart generation sources that can begin independently, then reconnect sections of the grid gradually as conditions allow.
- Which services received priority power?
- Power returned first to areas near hospitals and water pumping stations in Havana, while telecommunications and transport have also faced disruption.
- Why will outages continue after reconnection?
- UNE warned that reconnecting the national system will not end planned outages because available generation still falls short of demand.
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The catch
Coverage has not resolved the precise technical cause, and accounts differ on the year’s blackout count.
Investigation remains underway.