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<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://www.telesurenglish.net/cuba-western-zone-in-process-of-reconnection/">telesurenglish.net</a>
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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Cuba advances in electrical power restoration: Western zone in process of reconnection <br></h1>
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<p><img width="464" height="309" src="https://ikona.telesurenglish.net/content/uploads/2024/10/ELECTRICAL-CUBA-768x512.jpeg.webp" alt="" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img" style="margin-right: 0px;"></p><p>President
Miguel Diaz-Canel has been at the forefront of the system recovery
process alongside electrical technicians. (Photo: X account
@DiazCanelB).</p>
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October 20, 2024 </p>
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<h2>The process has already begun in the western zone once the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant is put into service.</h2>
<p>According to Lázaro Guerra Hernández, director of electricity of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, the <a href="https://www.telesurenglish.net/cuba-sustains-efforts-to-restore-electric-power/">western zone</a> of the country, including Havana, Mayabeque, Artemisa, and Pinar del Río, <strong>was the most affected after the disconnection </strong>of unit 1 of the Santa Cruz del Norte thermoelectric plant at 10:15 PM the previous day.</p>
<p>Guerra Hernández explained: “It was not possible to sustain the
microsystem of the western zone, and it completely collapsed. We are
concentrating our efforts on the start-up of the Antonio Guiteras
thermoelectric plant, which will serve as a base to restore the western
zone.”</p>
<p>The official explained that <strong>a system has already been interconnected from Matanzas to Holguín</strong>,
although this does not mean that there is electricity in the entire
central-eastern region. “We have a unit in service in Nuevitas, Varadero
gas, and distributed generation in several places,” he added.</p>
<p>The current strategy is to link the western zone with the system
already established in the center and east of the country. “We are not
going to create microsystems in the western zone, but rather from the
already established system we are going to link up and continue
increasing capacity,” explained Guerra Hernández.</p>
<p>Regarding the priorities in restoring the service, the director
clarified that first the lines necessary to reach the generating units
are energized, which benefits the circuits on that route. Subsequently,
sensitive circuits such as hospitals and water supply systems are
prioritized.</p>
<p>Guerra Hernández emphasized that an exact time cannot be given for
the complete restoration: “It would be irresponsible to do so. What I
can say is that we have already begun the process in the western zone
once we have the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant in service.”</p>
<p>The official assured that the lack of fuel is not currently the main
cause of the problems, but rather the unavailability of some generating
units.</p>
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Autor: MFD-teleSUR </p><br>
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</div><div class="gmail-header gmail-reader-header gmail-reader-show-element">_____________________________<br></div><div class="gmail-header gmail-reader-header gmail-reader-show-element"><a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://www.telesurenglish.net/cuba-power-outages-are-prolonged-due-to-delays-in-the-energy-recovery-process/">telesurenglish.net</a>
<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Cuba: Power Outages Are Prolonged Due to Delays in the Energy Recovery Process<br></h1>
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<p><img width="464" height="262" src="https://ikona.telesurenglish.net/content/uploads/2024/10/Cuba-3-768x433.jpeg.webp" alt="" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img" style="margin-right: 0px;"></p><p>A Cuban bookstore serves its customers in the midst of the blackout, Oct. 2024. X/ @xeunoticias</p>
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October 19, 2024 </p>
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<h2>The Caribbean nation is unable to purchase fuel or modernize its electrical machinery due to the U.S. blockade.</h2>
<p>On Saturday, Cuba once again experienced a total power outage after
the recovery process of the National Electric System (SEN), initiated
the day before following a blackout caused by a failure at a
thermoelectric plant, failed.</p>
<p><strong><em>RELATED: </em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em><a href="https://www.telesurenglish.net/venezuela-expresses-unconditional-solidarity-with-cuba-amid-energy-crisis/">Venezuela Expresses Unconditional Solidarity with Cuba Amid Energy Crisis</a></em></strong></p>
<p>The process of re-energizing the SEN was then initiated, gradually
restoring power to certain areas of the country with the goal of
expanding and connecting them to eventually reach the thermoelectric
plants and restart them. However, a new total disconnection thwarted the
progress that had been made.</p>
<p>“Today at 6:15 a.m., the National Electrical System experienced a
total disconnection. The Electric Union is working on restoring it,” the
state-owned Electric Union (UNE) reported on social media.</p>
<p>On Friday morning, the SEN collapsed due to a failure at the Guiteras
thermoelectric plant, one of the country’s main power generators. This
caused a complete blackout across the country. The situation had already
been labeled as an “energy emergency,” as President Miguel Diaz-Canel
had said on Thursday. </p>
<p>This week, the supply of electricity has been reduced by up to 50
percent on some days. As a result, authorities halted all non-essential
state labor activities starting Friday, including ministries and
schools. Diaz-Canel also stated that “there will be no rest” until
electric service on the island is restored and emphasized that the
situation is “tense and complex.”</p>
<p>Due to the U.S. blockade, which restricts the influx of foreign
currency to Cuba, the SEN is in a very precarious state because of fuel
shortages and frequent failures in thermoelectric plants, which have
been operating non-stop for over four decades.</p>
<p>Power outages have been common for several years, but since the end
of August, the situation has worsened, reaching levels similar to the
worst moments, such as in 2021 and 2022.</p>
<p>In recent years, the Cuban government has rented several floating
power plants to alleviate the lack of generating capacity. Frequent
blackouts are damaging Cuba’s economy, which contracted by 1.9 percent
in 2023 and is still below the levels of 2019.</p>
<p><strong><em>teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE</em></strong></p>
<p> EN ESTA NOTA: </p>
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