HAVANA — Cuban authorities announced Saturday they are working to bring the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric facility back online following a equipment failure that triggered widespread power outages across the island’s western territories.
Felix Estrada Rodríguez, a senior engineer with Cuba’s Electric Union, informed the state-run Canal Caribe network that the facility is expected to resume operations by Saturday evening after repair teams addressed a damaged boiler system.
The equipment malfunction on Wednesday resulted in power losses affecting millions of residents throughout western Cuba, according to officials.
Rodríguez explained that restoration efforts required careful attention to safety protocols due to challenging working conditions.
“It is a confined space with a high temperature,” he stated.
Cuba’s Electric Union reported Saturday that only 1,000 megawatts of electricity generation capacity remained available, representing less than half of what the nation currently requires. Officials did not specify how many residents continue to experience power interruptions.
This marks the second major electrical grid failure to impact western Cuba in the past three months, with authorities citing deteriorating infrastructure and fuel shortages as contributing factors.
The island nation relies heavily on Venezuelan oil imports but has recently adopted strict fuel conservation policies following U.S. actions against the South American country and the detention of its leadership, which disrupted essential petroleum deliveries.
Following the U.S. intervention in Venezuela in early January, President Donald Trump issued warnings about potential tariffs against nations that provide oil supplies to Cuba.
