On Monday, Cuba is facing one of the toughest days in terms of power outages this year. The situation worsened after the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant was taken offline from the National Electric System (SEN) at 3:00 a.m. due to a boiler leak, exacerbating an already dire crisis that has left the country without electricity for most of the day.
By 6:00 a.m., the SEN's available capacity was a meager 1,100 MW against a demand of 2,340 MW, with 1,265 MW already impacted. The Electric Union (UNE) predicted that by midday, the deficit would reach 1,400 MW.
The outlook for the evening peak is even more concerning. The UNE anticipates a capacity of just 1,205 MW with a maximum demand of 3,020 MW, resulting in a shortfall of 1,815 MW and an impact of 1,845 MW.
Insufficient Measures to Tackle the Deficit
Efforts to cover the shortfall include bringing in 85 MW from Nuevitas Plant Unit 6 and 20 MW from Energas Jaruco Unit 5, but these contributions fall short of compensating for the loss of Guiteras.
In addition to Guiteras, three units from the Felton, Antonio Maceo, and Diez de Octubre plants are also out of commission, while five blocks from the Mariel, Renté, and Nuevitas plants are undergoing maintenance.
Thermal generation constraints add another 266 MW of unavailable capacity.
Previous Day's Struggle and Impact
On Sunday, which coincided with Easter, the electric service was affected for 24 hours, with the maximum shortfall in generation capacity reaching 1,740 MW at 8:30 p.m., according to UNE.
In Havana, the situation was similarly critical. The Electric Company reported that the service was disrupted for 14 hours and 42 minutes, with a peak impact of 273 MW at 8:30 p.m., stating that restoring service was "impossible due to a deficit."
As of the Havana report's closure, six blocks and 38 MW of emergency power, totaling 261 MW, remained offline, with restoration expected by Monday morning. However, the new Guiteras breakdown makes this scenario unlikely.
Structural Issues and Historical Failures
The Guiteras plant, inaugurated in 1988 with a nominal capacity of 250 MW, accounts for 20% to 25% of the country's thermal generation. It has faced a series of failures that have accelerated dramatically in 2026.
This is at least its fifth shutdown of the year, following incidents on February 2, February 9, March 4, and March 16, when a boiler leak led to a total SEN collapse for 29 hours and 29 minutes.
The underlying issues are structural: over 36 years of operation, severe aging, inadequate maintenance, and chronic shortages of spare parts—problems the Cuban regime has not addressed in decades of underinvestment in the energy sector.
Understanding Cuba's Energy Crisis
What caused the current power outage situation in Cuba?
The current power outage crisis in Cuba is primarily due to the breakdown of the Antonio Guiteras plant, compounded by structural issues such as aging infrastructure, inadequate maintenance, and a chronic shortage of spare parts.
How significant is the Antonio Guiteras plant to Cuba's power supply?
The Antonio Guiteras plant is crucial to Cuba's power supply, accounting for 20% to 25% of the country's thermal generation capacity. Its outages significantly impact the overall electricity availability.