Why is Cuba facing power outages? Here’s everything you may need to know

Cuba's energy and mines ministry disclosed that electricity has been lost in half of the island via the microblogging platform, Twitter, marking one of the most substantial power failures since Hurricane Ian struck on September 27, 2022, plunging the entire nation into darkness.

Although blackouts are not uncommon on the island, reports suggest that power outages in Cuba have been less frequent since December 2022.

Timeline of the power outages in Cuba


The power outages began on February 13, at around noon according to state-owned Union Electrica. The company stated that it would resolve the issue within the next four to five hours.

Areas affected by the power outages

The power outages have affected seven of the 15 provinces in Cuba, including Las Tunas, Granma, Holguin, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Ciego de Avila, and eastern Camaguey.

Cause of the power outages

Reports indicate that the power outages were caused by a fire in a sugar cane plantation that resulted in a failure of high-voltage lines in the affected areas. The Ministry of Energy and Mines tweeted, stating that the disconnection occurred in the eastern Cuba zone due to the failure of the 220-thousand-volt lines between Sancti Spiritus and Ciego de Avila. The probable cause of the failure could be a fire in a cane field, yet to be confirmed. The system reset process is expected to take 4-5 hours.

Cuba's actions to address blackouts

In February, Cuba announced that it had purchased a floating power plant from Turkey to alleviate energy shortages. This marks the eighth such powership that Cuba has acquired from Turkey.

In response to protests regarding the widespread blackouts across the island, the energy minister was replaced in October 2022. The new minister is Vicente de la O Levy, who previously served as the director of the National Electric Union, which is responsible for operating the state's grid.

FAQs:

1. Who is the Prime Minister of Cuba?
   Manuel Marrero Cruz.
2. What is the capital city of Cuba?
   Havana.