The Cuban Electric Union (UNE) announced at noon on Thursday that the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, a key stabilizer for the island's power grid, is once again "online and ramping up load." Despite the announcement on UNE's Facebook page, many Cubans remain skeptical. Yadiel Concepción, a user on the platform, expressed indifference by stating that even when the plant was operational, he still faced 12-hour power outages.
Similarly, a user named Yailín Riera reported that the central area of Manzanillo has been without power since Wednesday night. "We're still in the dark here," she remarked. According to José Miguel Solís, a journalist from Radio Rebelde, after a second attempt, the Guiteras plant is maintaining a generation of 50 MW and is operating within the microsystem that spans from the Yumurí region to Sancti Spíritus.
Challenges in Power Restoration
Solís noted on his Facebook profile that the "operation is extremely complex," with the president of the Provincial Defense Council, Mario Sabines Lorenzo, present alongside the workers. In statements to the state-run media, Sabines described the issue as "very difficult" to resolve, but provided no timeline for when it might be fixed.
There is growing concern among residents about the sustainability of the Antonio Guiteras plant's output. On October 18, the plant's shutdown in Matanzas led to a massive blackout across the island, which was not fully resolved until three days later on October 21. Although Cuban authorities promised improvements when the plant returned online, the situation has repeated itself in less than two weeks, this time attributed to Hurricane Rafael.
Nationwide Energy Struggles
On Monday, seven thermoelectric units across Cuba were out of service: three due to breakdowns (Mariel power plant, unit 5 of the Nuevitas CTE, and unit 2 of the Felton CTE) and four undergoing maintenance (unit 2 of the Santa Cruz CTE, unit 3 of the Cienfuegos CTE, unit 1 of the Felton CTE, and unit 5 of the Renté CTE). As a result, a 24-hour blackout occurred on Sunday, followed by localized outages in the central-eastern region of the country on Monday.
This Thursday, Cuba's Ministry of Energy and Mines confirmed the reestablishment of a partial electrical subsystem covering areas from Matanzas to Holguín. This was achieved by incorporating thermoelectric plants, Energas Varadero, and distributed generation plants in these regions. The plan is part of a broader strategy to split the power supply into independent regional systems after Wednesday's disconnection of the National Electric System (SEN) at 2:48 pm, due to Hurricane Rafael's impact, according to official sources.
Currently, only 55.7% of service has been restored in the Isle of Youth, 19% in Pinar del Río, and several circuits in Matanzas, which have brought electricity back to the cities of Matanzas, Cárdenas, and Colón.