Commodities and Futures News

Cuba`s electrical grid collapses for second time, entire country again without power

2024.10.19 08:58

By Dave Sherwood

HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuba`s electrical grid collapsed again early on Saturday morning, state-run media reported, plunging the entire country into blackout for a second time just hours after authorities announced they had begun reestablishing service.

CubaDebate, one of the islands state-run media outlets, said Cuba`s grid operator, UNE, had reported at 6:15AM the “total disconnection of the national electro-energetic system.”

“The Electric Union is working on its reestablishment,” the brief message said.

Cuba`s electrical grid first collapsed around midday on Friday after one of the island`s largest power plants failed, suddenly leaving more than 10 million without power.

Even before the grid`s collapse, an electricity shortfall on Friday had forced Cuba`s communist-run government to send non-essential state workers home and cancel school classes for children as it sought to conserve fuel for generation.

But lights began to flicker on in scattered pockets across the island early in the evening on Friday, offering some hope that power would be restored.

The grid operator has not yet provided any details on what caused the grid to collapse again on Saturday, or how long it will take to reestablish service.

Cuba`s government has blamed weeks of worsening blackouts – often 10 to 20 hours a day across much of the island – on deteriorating infrastructure, fuel shortages and rising demand.

Strong winds that began with Hurricane Milton last week had also complicated the island’s ability to deliver scarce fuel from boats offshore to feed its power plants, officials have said.

Fuel deliveries to the island have dropped off significantly this year, as Venezuela, Russia and Mexico, once key suppliers, have reduced their exports to Cuba.

Key ally Venezuela slashed by half its deliveries of subsidized fuel to Cuba this year, forcing the island to search elsewhere for far more pricey oil on the spot market.

© Reuters. People stand in the street at night as Cuba is hit by an island-wide blackout, in Havana, Cuba, October 18, 2024. REUTERS/Norlys Perez

Cuba’s government also blames the U.S. trade embargo, as well as sanctions under then-President Donald Trump, for ongoing difficulties in acquiring fuel and spare parts to operate and maintain its oil-fired plants.

The United States on Friday denied any role in the grid collapse in Cuba.



Source link

Related Articles

Back to top button
bitcoin
Bitcoin (BTC) $ 98,333.35 4.32%
ethereum
Ethereum (ETH) $ 3,481.15 2.30%
tether
Tether (USDT) $ 0.999619 0.14%
xrp
XRP (XRP) $ 2.31 3.13%
bnb
BNB (BNB) $ 699.38 1.46%
solana
Solana (SOL) $ 199.22 5.17%
dogecoin
Dogecoin (DOGE) $ 0.337471 4.70%
usd-coin
USDC (USDC) $ 1.00 0.08%
staked-ether
Lido Staked Ether (STETH) $ 3,479.69 2.34%
cardano
Cardano (ADA) $ 0.934976 2.20%
tron
TRON (TRX) $ 0.256102 1.40%
avalanche-2
Avalanche (AVAX) $ 41.22 6.88%
chainlink
Chainlink (LINK) $ 25.11 4.23%
the-open-network
Toncoin (TON) $ 5.88 5.08%
wrapped-steth
Wrapped stETH (WSTETH) $ 4,130.76 2.26%
shiba-inu
Shiba Inu (SHIB) $ 0.000024 5.95%
sui
Sui (SUI) $ 4.62 1.43%
wrapped-bitcoin
Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) $ 97,916.23 4.18%
hedera-hashgraph
Hedera (HBAR) $ 0.320604 12.23%
stellar
Stellar (XLM) $ 0.397938 8.35%
polkadot
Polkadot (DOT) $ 7.53 3.25%
hyperliquid
Hyperliquid (HYPE) $ 30.10 4.36%
weth
WETH (WETH) $ 3,482.12 2.29%
bitcoin-cash
Bitcoin Cash (BCH) $ 468.24 2.33%
leo-token
LEO Token (LEO) $ 9.48 1.47%
uniswap
Uniswap (UNI) $ 14.44 2.35%
litecoin
Litecoin (LTC) $ 108.11 2.27%
pepe
Pepe (PEPE) $ 0.000019 5.13%
bitget-token
Bitget Token (BGB) $ 4.98 18.40%
near
NEAR Protocol (NEAR) $ 5.56 2.63%
wrapped-eeth
Wrapped eETH (WEETH) $ 3,673.73 2.24%
ethena-usde
Ethena USDe (USDE) $ 0.999289 0.12%
aave
Aave (AAVE) $ 369.83 2.01%
aptos
Aptos (APT) $ 9.83 3.16%
internet-computer
Internet Computer (ICP) $ 11.34 6.48%
usds
USDS (USDS) $ 0.999563 0.04%
crypto-com-chain
Cronos (CRO) $ 0.162984 1.41%
polygon-ecosystem-token
POL (ex-MATIC) (POL) $ 0.525779 5.15%
vechain
VeChain (VET) $ 0.052716 9.95%
ethereum-classic
Ethereum Classic (ETC) $ 27.84 2.05%
mantle
Mantle (MNT) $ 1.23 3.44%
render-token
Render (RENDER) $ 7.80 1.44%
bittensor
Bittensor (TAO) $ 501.98 3.70%
fetch-ai
Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET) $ 1.40 2.48%
mantra-dao
MANTRA (OM) $ 3.80 0.12%
whitebit
WhiteBIT Coin (WBT) $ 24.89 2.12%
monero
Monero (XMR) $ 192.15 1.25%
arbitrum
Arbitrum (ARB) $ 0.814759 2.39%
dai
Dai (DAI) $ 1.00 0.05%
filecoin
Filecoin (FIL) $ 5.46 6.13%