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Cuba struck by nationwide blackout
- 1 year, 4 months ago (2024-12-05)
- David Flin
Cuba was struck by a nationwide blackout following a failure at the Antonio Guiteras power plant in Matanzas, which shut down at 0200 hrs on 4 December.
13th Gas Turbine Focus Conference and Exhibition 2026 (GTF 2026)
Several other major power plants were undergoing maintenance and were offline when the Matanzas plant failed, leaving the grid short of electricity, resulting in the grid collapse. The Cuban Government said that it was generating only enough electricity to cover one-sixth of peak demand. The National Electric Union (UNE) said it was generating 533 MW by the evening of 4 December, compared to a normal demand of 3000-3200 MW at that time.
The government said it would prioritise returning power to hospitals and water pumping facilities. Schools and non-essential government services were closed until further notice.