MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Another massive blackout in Cuba: on average, the grid can supply 50/70% of demand

This is the fifth time Cuba’s power system has completely collapsed, because of system deterioration, as fuel supply crisis has hit heavily the old oil-fueled power plants.

Cuba suffered another massive power outage after a partial collapse of the electrical grid early on Wednesday. Havana and many of the western provinces are without power, according to a state media reporter who spoke with Reuters.

This is the fifth time Cuba’s power system has completely collapsed, because of deterioration in recent years as the fuel and oil supply crisis has hit heavily the old oil-fueled power plants.

Cuba’s power generation is heavily dependent on oil, more than 80%, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). However, Cuba’s imports of oil and fuel, mostly from Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico, have slumped as production at these countries has been constrained by a lack of investment in Mexico, and U.S. sanctions, in Venezuela and Russia’s case.

Cuba’s outdated power plants and weak grid now supply just 50–70% of electricity demand in the country, causing almost daily blackouts and repeated national outages. In May Cuba’s electricity demand rose to 3.05 GW, compared to 2.58 GW in March, as the supply stood at around 1.9 GW. This means that on average, the government can meet between 50% and 70% of Cuba’s energy needs.

The regular blackouts have prompted residents to invest in charcoal stoves, rechargeable batteries and fans, as well as other vital products to use during outages when confronted with soaring temperatures, which many can barely afford.

Reliance on poor-quality heavy crude and unstable oil imports from Venezuela has forced Cuba to turn to Mexico and China for emergency fuel shipments.