In Cuba, a technical failure impacted 220 kV high voltage lines, leaving the center and east regions of the island without electrical service. The presidency reported the outage on social media on Monday, outlining the extent of the disruption and the provinces affected.
According to the state utility Unión Eléctrica (UNE), seven of Cuba’s fifteen provinces experienced power interruptions since the prior afternoon. The affected areas include Ciego de Ávila, Camagüey, Las Tunas, Granma, Holguín, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo. Authorities emphasized that the loss of power originated from a fault in the high voltage network, with the eastern part of the country showing the most pronounced impact.
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The public briefing from the ministry noted that the failure occurred on the 220 kV transmission corridor between Sancti Spíritus and Ciego de Ávila, disrupting a critical eastern link in the grid. The information was conveyed via official presidential channels on February 13, 2023, as part of ongoing updates to citizens and energy partners.
Energy minister Vincent de la O Levy described the situation as a disturbance in the connection between key grid nodes. He mentioned a reed field fire in the region as one of the preliminary hypotheses for the fault, while stressing that the investigation would determine the exact cause and timeline for restoration. The minister refrained from providing a specific repair duration at that moment, underscoring the need for a thorough assessment.
Authorities later indicated that restoration efforts were underway and could take several hours. Updates from the energy ministry and the presidency reiterated the commitment to reestablish service as quickly and safely as possible, prioritizing the continuity of supply to critical loads and residential consumers alike.
The network disruption, defined by UNE as a formal fault in the electric grid, occurred between Sancti Spíritus and the Camagüey municipality area, highlighting the vulnerability of long-distance transmission links and the potential cascading effects on regional supply. Responders were mobilized to inspect transmission assets, reroute power where feasible, and accelerate fault isolation to minimize customer impact while safeguarding equipment and personnel connected to the system.