{"id":20279,"date":"2026-07-15T20:11:40","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T14:26:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eng.dragonmedia.com.np\/?p=20279"},"modified":"2026-07-15T20:11:40","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T14:26:40","slug":"cubas-national-power-grid-collapses-for-third-time-in-nine-days-deepening-energy-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eng.dragonmedia.com.np\/?p=20279","title":{"rendered":"Cuba\u2019s National Power Grid Collapses for Third Time in Nine Days, Deepening Energy Crisis<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dragon Media News Desk<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cuba\u2019s national electricity grid has collapsed for the third time in nine days, further deepening the long-running energy crisis in the Caribbean nation of nearly 10 million people.<\/p>\n

Cuba\u2019s Ministry of Energy and Mines said on Tuesday that the country\u2019s national electricity system had suffered a total shutdown. According to the state-owned Electric Union, a malfunction at a generating unit in the eastern province of Holgu\u00edn caused a sudden change in electrical frequency, destabilising the interconnected national grid and triggering the complete collapse.<\/p>\n

It was the third nationwide grid failure in Cuba since July 6. The system first collapsed on July 6. Four days later, on July 10, a fault on a transmission line between Santa Clara and Sancti Sp\u00edritus caused another nationwide outage. A further failure linked to a generating unit in Holgu\u00edn brought down the system again on July 14.<\/p>\n

Following the latest collapse, authorities launched emergency procedures to restore electricity. Small, isolated power networks were established to provide priority supplies to hospitals, water facilities, food-production centres and other essential services. These separate systems were then gradually connected as part of efforts to rebuild the national grid.<\/p>\n

By Tuesday afternoon, electricity had been restored to parts of Havana. During the initial stage, only about four percent of the capital had regained power. Electricity was also restored to hospitals in Guant\u00e1namo and Cienfuegos provinces and to the historic centre of the city of Matanzas.<\/p>\n

Cuban authorities later said that all 24 substations in Havana had returned to operation. However, reconnecting substations does not necessarily mean that all consumers receive continuous electricity. Planned power cuts may continue because the country still lacks sufficient generating capacity.<\/p>\n

The outage disrupted transport, communications, water supplies and daily life in Havana and other parts of the country. Electrically powered water pumps stopped operating, forcing some residents to collect water from taps available at street level or on the lower floors of buildings.<\/p>\n

Traffic management was also affected after traffic lights stopped working. Hospitals, businesses and public institutions relied on backup generators to maintain essential services.<\/p>\n

Although the immediate causes of Cuba\u2019s recent outages have involved different technical failures, the wider crisis is linked to fuel shortages, ageing power plants, deteriorating transmission infrastructure and difficulties carrying out regular maintenance.<\/p>\n

Many of Cuba\u2019s thermal power plants are several decades old and frequently experience breakdowns. Generating capacity often remains below national demand, resulting in lengthy daily power cuts in many parts of the country even when the national grid is functioning.<\/p>\n

Before the July 14 collapse, Cuba\u2019s available generating capacity stood at 2,240 megawatts, while demand had reached 3,041 megawatts. Official figures showed that the system was unable to meet 836 megawatts of demand. The figures indicate that a significant gap between electricity production and consumption existed even before the nationwide shutdown.<\/p>\n

Cuba produces only around 40 percent of the fuel it requires domestically and depends on imports for the remainder. A sharp decline in fuel imports has placed growing pressure on electricity generation, public transport, industry and other essential services.<\/p>\n

Fuel shortages have also led to reductions in public transportation, disruption to flights and the suspension of some routine healthcare programmes.<\/p>\n

The Cuban government has repeatedly identified United States economic and energy sanctions as a major cause of the crisis. Havana says US pressure on countries and companies supplying fuel to Cuba has reduced oil imports and made it more difficult to obtain equipment and spare parts required for the maintenance of power plants.<\/p>\n

The United States, however, has described its policy as an effort to exert political and economic pressure on the Cuban government.<\/p>\n

Critics of Washington\u2019s policy acknowledge that external sanctions have worsened the situation but argue that Cuba\u2019s ageing infrastructure, limited foreign-exchange reserves, inadequate modernisation and weaknesses in domestic management must also be considered.<\/p>\n

Available information suggests that the crisis is not the result of a single factor but of a combination of fuel shortages, technical failures and long-term structural problems.<\/p>\n

Public frustration has grown as electricity disruptions have become more frequent. Small protests have taken place in parts of Havana, where residents have banged pots and demanded the restoration of power.<\/p>\n

Some demonstrators have questioned the Cuban government\u2019s management of the crisis, while others have blamed the effects of US sanctions. The differing reactions reflect the range of public views regarding the causes of the country\u2019s energy difficulties.<\/p>\n

Cuba has sought to expand solar power and other renewable-energy projects in recent years. However, the country remains heavily dependent on thermal power plants and imported fuel to meet its basic electricity needs.<\/p>\n

Even after the national grid is restored, the risk of further large-scale outages is likely to remain unless Cuba secures adequate generating capacity, stable fuel supplies and substantial improvements to its ageing electricity infrastructure.<\/p>\n

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