Cuba restored total interconnection after the collapse of the National Electricity System

Published at: 22/03/2026 11:20 PM

This Sunday, March 22, after 9:00 p.m., Cuba managed to re-establish the interconnection of the National Electric System (SEN) from the western province of Pinar del Rio to the eastern province of Guantánamo, throughout the country, the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, reported in his account on the social network X, after a total outage of the national electricity system on Saturday afternoon.

After 17:00 hours, the Havana Electric Company confirmed the recovery of electricity service in much of the Cuban capital, reaching more than 560,000 users and 43 hospitals, as well as 10 essential aqueduct systems, according to the Telesur website.

Despite the progress, effects persisted due to generation deficits, implying effects with blackouts in some blocks and circuits so that the system can sustain demand.

Cuba is experiencing an energy crisis aggravated by the oil blockade enacted on January 29 by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, which has prevented fuel from reaching the island for more than three months, causing a greater deficit and instability in the SEN, which accumulated three collapses (two total and one partial) in March.

The total disconnection of the SEN occurred after 18:00 hours on Saturday, March 21, with the departure of unit 6 of the Nuevitas Thermoelectric Power Plant (CTE), Camagüey, generating a cascade effect in the system.

In response, Cuban authorities implemented a gradual recovery protocol, activating microislands and microsystems to prioritize vital centers and basic services, including water pumping stations and hydraulic infrastructure, in addition to restarting thermal power plants.

Several important thermoelectric power plants and generation sources were able to connect to the SEN on Sunday. Among them, the Antonio Guiteras CTE (Matanzas), the largest unitary generator block in the country; Unit 1 of the Santa Cruz CTE (west), Units 3 and 4 of the Carlos Manuel de Cespedes CTE (center), as well as the Energás Boca de Jaruco and Varadero facilities. The Hanabanilla hydroelectric plant was also generating energy, strengthening the system from Mariel to Villa Clara.

At 21:00 hours, the CTE Nuevitas, Renté and Felton remained to join the SEN, in the east, all with the bars energized and ready to synchronize at night—dawn, as reported on national television by the head of operations of the National Cargo Office of the UNE.

After a total fall, the process of restoring the SEN is slow and laborious, starting with simple start sources such as solar, hydroelectric and distributed generation engines (based on diesel and fuel oil) to supply small areas that are progressively interconnected and contribute to the start-up of thermoelectric plants, the main source of the system.

Mazo News Team