More than 10 million residents were left without electricity in Cuba on Friday after the national grid collapsed. Power supply reform is underway, but challenges remain.
Why did the network crash?
Cuba’s electrical grid and oil-fired power plants are outdated. They were built decades ago and are poorly maintained. And because Cuba produces very little fossil fuel, it is almost entirely dependent on imports.
This year, Venezuela has halved fuel shipments to Cuba as it struggles to meet its needs. Russia and Mexico have also cut exports to Cuba, forcing the government to look to the much more expensive fuel spot market.
The situation came to a head on Friday, when Cuba’s largest power plant malfunctioned, although many smaller units were already out. Due to the bad weather, the arrival of the oil tankers was also delayed, as a result of which the island’s power stations could not be supplied. The entire network collapsed from the combination of these events.
Is the US responsible for the Cuban problem?
Cuba blames the US embargo and former President Donald Trump’s sanctions for its electricity problems. President Miguel Diaz-Canel repeated these claims on Thursday.
The United States denies any involvement in the recent collapse of the network.
However, US sanctions complicate the financing of fuel and parts purchases for Cuba. They also divert many oil tankers, forcing Cuba and Venezuela to rely entirely on their own antiquated navies to transport oil.
But the Cuban government has also recognized its own shortcomings. Rampant corruption, red tape and massive inefficiency have brought the economy to its knees, leaving the government without funds to upgrade its power grid.
How do citizens react?
Life in Cuba is extremely difficult. Millions of people suffer daily due to lack of electricity. Mosquito-borne diseases have increased rapidly. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans do not have access to water, in part because of power outages that have paralyzed infrastructure.
Also, life on the island is complicated by severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine. After many months of daily power outages, stocks in frozen food stores have dwindled significantly.
Disappointment with the status quo is universal. Because the government does not accept protests, many citizens express their dissatisfaction when they leave the country.
What solutions are the government proposing?
The government says it has started investing in a long-term plan to produce an increasing percentage of electricity from renewable sources. It is also investing in producing more crude oil domestically.
State media reported this week that 26 solar farms are being built across the country, with a target of a total capacity of 1,000 megawatts. or 1/3 of current demand, within two years. A similar project is expected to be completed by 2031.
Progress is being slowed by the economic crisis, fuel shortages and lack of funding, forcing the country to continue relying on antiquated power plants for the foreseeable future.
Has the network crashed again?
Following Hurricane Jan in September 2022, Cuba’s grid collapsed, leaving the entire country without power for several days.
Authorities restored power, but protests had already broken out in several cities on the island, including Havana.
Source: Reuters