Cuba hit with new nationwide blackout amid power plant failures

Much of Cuba was left without electricity after a major failure in the national grid, with the state power company reporting widespread outages that lasted through the night.

Unión Eléctrica, Cuba’s state-owned power company, said on Wednesday that service was disrupted for 24 hours and remained out during the early morning.

The company reported that a combination of power plant breakdowns, fuel shortages, and maintenance work caused the deficit, leaving more than 1,700 megawatts unavailable at peak demand.

Officials said a false signal of overheated steam triggered an automatic shutdown at one of the country’s thermal plants, adding to the strain on the system. By late Wednesday night, Unión Eléctrica said it had managed to restore 500 megawatts of generation.

Cuba has faced recurring blackouts in recent years as its aging power plants, many of them dependent on imported fuel, struggle to keep up with demand. Outages lasting several hours a day have become common and have sparked rare protests in the country.