The province of Pinar del Río remains disconnected from Cuba's National Power Grid following a widespread outage that left the entire nation without electricity on Friday. The local station, Tele Pinar, reported that power will be restored to the province "as soon as one of the two units at Mariel synchronizes," which are currently in the startup phase.
According to the state-run media, "Pinar del Río is among the provinces still cut off from the national grid after its total collapse on Friday night." Since the major outage, the area has been relying on isolated micro-grids to supply power to "priority objectives" and provide service to a "small portion of the population." Tele Pinar stated that the largest micro-grid, located in the provincial capital, ensures power to the circuits of the three hospitals and the water well field that supplies the city.
Residents in Paso Real de San Diego, Los Palacios; Pons, Minas de Matahambre; and Guane are experiencing "some hours of electricity." Additionally, people in La Coloma benefit from limited power supplied by the fishing company's generator located there during specific hours.
Amid this challenging energy situation, the provincial government has suspended classes throughout the territory. Authorities have announced that the country is currently generating 1,057 MW, with power extending from Mariel to Guantánamo, although supply issues persist.
By 3:00 p.m., the CTE Antonio Guiteras, in the process of restarting, is expected to synchronize with the grid, along with two units from the CTE Santa Cruz joining the National Power Grid.
The Cuban regime acknowledged on Saturday afternoon that creating micro-grids to generate electricity following the massive blackout has been a complex task. In a national television appearance, Lázaro Guerra Hernández, the general director of electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, stated that the recovery process, particularly in the western region, has encountered "issues in reconnecting."
Currently, over 70% of the Cuban population remains without electricity since the national system's collapse on Friday night, plunging the entire country into darkness. A survey conducted by CiberCuba on social media revealed that 72% of participants are still without power, while only 28% have had their service restored.
Understanding Cuba's Power Crisis
What caused the power outage in Cuba?
The power outage was caused by a general failure in the National Power Grid, which led to a massive blackout affecting the entire country.
How are residents of Pinar del Río coping without electricity?
Residents are relying on isolated micro-grids to provide power to essential services and a small portion of the population. Some areas receive limited electricity from local generators.
What steps are being taken to restore power in Cuba?
Efforts include synchronizing units at Mariel and CTE Antonio Guiteras with the grid and activating micro-grids to generate electricity in key areas.