The arrival of sargassum on Cuban shores, brought by the "Lenten winds," is causing concern among energy officials, who warn it could exacerbate the frequent power outages plaguing the island. The National Electric Union has highlighted the challenges posed by the seaweed to power generation, further threatening the already unstable electricity supply.
In a recent television broadcast, the term "power outages" was conspicuously absent, as reports focused on potential solutions to a problem they claim is new, attributing it to climate change, despite its longstanding nature.
According to Canal Caribe, experts from GEOCUBA and Energás S.A. are collaborating on new protective barriers for the seawater channel at the Boca de Jaruco plant in Mayabeque. This scientific endeavor aims to prevent the sargassum from disrupting the National Electrical System yet again, though no concrete results have emerged as of now.
This announcement follows multiple instances where the marine algae had already caused the Energás plant to go offline, underscoring the inadequacy of previous measures to address the issue.
Energás executives have noted an early start to the 2026 sargassum season. "In the first two weeks of April, we experienced a significant influx of sargassum, arriving with strong Lenten winds," a company official explained. "When the channel becomes overloaded with sargassum, the filtration systems clog, forcing the shutdown of cooling pumps that supply water to the plant's condenser."
Currently, the situation is reportedly under control with the aid of divers, specialized equipment, and plant personnel.
The Cuban public has reacted with open skepticism on social media to the latest official report. One Facebook user sarcastically dubbed the seaweed "imperialist sargassum," while another bluntly criticized the government's repeated failures.
This "surprise factor" of sargassum adds financial strain and complicates energy generation processes. Despite not being a novel issue, the government has yet to devise a preventive solution to the algae's infiltration of the plant's channels.
On October 7, 2025, Energás Jaruco's Unit 6 was taken offline due to the algae's presence in the circulation pump's intake channel. Merely eight days later, units 3, 4, and 6 simultaneously dropped out of the system at 3:19 PM.
The sarcasm from the public has merit, as sargassum joins a long list of excuses used by the regime to deflect blame from a structural energy collapse.
Cuba's electrical crisis stems from deeper issues than marine algae. The country requires eight oil shipments monthly, yet received only one between December 2025 and April 2026. The cessation of Venezuelan oil supply following Nicolás Maduro's capture in January 2026 and the depletion of Russian oil tanker Kolodkin's cargo in late April further exacerbated the crisis.
The generation deficit reached an all-time high of 1,945 MW on April 1, 2026, with a projected peak hour shortfall of 1,650 MW this past Monday, as only 1,600 MW were available against a demand of 3,250 MW.
Understanding Cuba's Energy Crisis
What is causing the power outages in Cuba?
While sargassum is being blamed for some outages, the underlying cause is a structural collapse of Cuba's energy system, exacerbated by insufficient oil supplies and outdated infrastructure.
How is sargassum affecting Cuba's power plants?
Sargassum clogs the filtration systems and cooling pumps at power plants, forcing shutdowns and exacerbating the electricity supply issues.
What measures are being taken to address the sargassum problem?
Efforts include designing new protective barriers for seawater channels, although these solutions have yet to yield concrete results.
How has the loss of oil supplies impacted Cuba?
The capture of Nicolás Maduro and depletion of Russian oil shipments have significantly reduced Cuba's oil supply, contributing to the energy crisis.