Cuba Blackout [Reuters=Yonhap News]

The power grid in Cuba, which suffered a massive blackout on the 14th (local time), was restored in just one day.

The Electric Union of Cuba (UNE) announced that it normalized the National Electric System (SEN) at approximately 7 a.m. on the 15th, about 20 hours after full-scale restoration efforts began.

The power authority explained that this blackout occurred when a sudden failure at a thermal power plant triggered a domino effect, leading to a cascading disconnection of power supply.

Cuba has been experiencing persistent, widespread power outages due to aging infrastructure and fuel shortages; the situation has further deteriorated since January, when the U.S. government tightened its blockade. This year alone, the national power grid has collapsed five times due to massive blackouts.

In particular, the national power grid has collapsed three times this month alone, as the Russian crude oil that arrived at the port of Havana last March has been completely exhausted, coinciding with peak power demand during the sweltering summer heat.

Cuban Heatwave [AP=Yonhap News]

The UNE stated that due to fuel shortages, the national power grid itself has become extremely vulnerable to outages, making even the operation of emergency generators virtually impossible.

Previously, Minister of Energy and Mines Vicente de la O Levy claimed in a press conference the day before that "this situation is primarily due to the state of our power system, which has worsened because of U.S. decisions," adding, "We are practically living in a state of war." He further noted that fuel is "non-existent" and the government is unable to secure even spare parts for power plants.

Although the power grid has narrowly been restored, electricity supply remains woefully insufficient.

The state-run media outlet Cubadebate cited experts reporting that even with the power grid restored today, a power deficit of more than 2,100 MW (megawatts) is expected. This amounts to over 60% of Cuba's total power demand.