On March 4, electricity was lost in most of Cuba after an emergency shutdown at the Antonio Guiteras thermal power plant (TPP).
This was reported by the state-owned energy company Union Electrica UNE, Reuters writes.
What happened to Cuba's power system
The outages were caused by an unexpected shutdown of equipment at one of the country's main power plants, the Antonio Guiteras TPP. As a result, a large part of the island's power system lost power.
How long can the restoration take
The energy company's specialists estimate that the restoration of the facility's operation may take up to 72 hours. Repairs are complicated by the fact that the system is in an emergency state due to a lack of spare parts and chronic underfunding.
How the outages affected life in Havana
In the country's capital, Havana, residents have already become accustomed to regular power outages. Some traffic lights and businesses continued to operate thanks to solar panels or generators. During one of the television news programs, the broadcast was briefly interrupted, and the presenter explained the delay by a power outage.
What is known about the supply of oil to Cuba
The Cuban government links the economic difficulties to long-standing sanctions from the United States, which, according to the authorities, limit opportunities for investment in electricity production and network development.
At the same time, Mexico announced its intention to stop supplying oil to the island after the United States threatened new tariffs on countries that supply Cuba with energy resources. Previously, one of the key suppliers of oil to the island was Venezuela.
Problems with the supply of electricity in Cuba have been ongoing for more than one year. The island's energy infrastructure has been operating without necessary maintenance for a long time, and regular power outages have been recorded since the 1990s.
Recall, in late January, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would impose tariffs against any country that supplies petroleum products to Cuba, which was on the verge of collapse after the cessation of imports of raw materials from Venezuela due to the overthrow of Nicolas Maduro by the Americans.
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