Cuba's Power Grid: Strained System Faces Frequent Outages

Cuba has been hit by its third major blackout in less than two months, stemming from a thermoelectric plant failure. Scheduled power cuts will proceed as usual. Recent outages have been exacerbated by aging infrastructure and fuel shortages, complicating daily life in many parts of the island.

Following a countrywide blackout that left millions of Cubans without electricity for several hours, the power grid was restored on Thursday, according to authorities. Despite this, scheduled power outages will resume in the coming days.

The latest blackout marked the third severe disruption in less than two months and occurred early Wednesday after a breakdown at a thermoelectric plant in Matanzas province, east of Havana. This incident initiated a chain reaction that further burdened an already strained power system.

On Thursday, life began to return to normal as schools and workplaces gradually resumed operations. Authorities have confirmed that they will continue with planned, daily five-hour power outages by block or zone, a practice that has been in place for several months.

In recent incidents, a significant blackout on October 18 was compounded by Hurricane Oscar, leaving the island without electricity for several days, followed weeks later by Hurricane Rafael's strong winds causing a further system failure. Cuba's power grid has faced frequent outages, impacting over half of the country during peak times, primarily due to fuel shortages and outdated infrastructure. Electricity is vital in many areas for essential activities like cooking and water pumping.

(With inputs from agencies.)