CUBA · ENERGY
Key Facts
- —The country Cuba, a Caribbean island under a long US embargo, has seen eight nationwide grid collapses in 2026.
- —Why it matters Losing a unit at a 295 MW station deepens a shortage that already leaves millions without power for 20 hours or more.
- —Why now The fire broke out at about 6:55 a.m. on Friday 16 October, with evening outages already forecast at 2,190 MW.
- —What happened Unit 1 of the Ernesto Guevara de la Serna plant in Santa Cruz del Norte went offline, and the blaze was controlled by about 9 a.m. with no injuries.
- —The numbers Forecast evening demand is 2,900 MW against 740 MW available, a shortfall of 2,160 MW.
- —What it means for you Expect long blackouts across Cuba and patchy phone and internet service for travellers, relatives and US firms with Cuban ties.
- —Still open The cause, the damage and how long unit 1 stays out are not yet established.
- —Power Index Cuba ranks 14th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 22.5 points (October 2026 edition).
A Cuba thermoelectric plant fire on Friday 16 October knocked unit 1 of the Ernesto Guevara de la Serna station offline. The state grid operator, the Unión Eléctrica (UNE), said the blaze at the Santa Cruz del Norte plant began at 6:55 a.m.
For US readers, the fire matters because it hit a grid already far short of power, with heavy evening outages forecast. Travellers, relatives and US firms with Cuban ties should expect more hours without electricity, and the wider setting is in Cuba in Latin America, Its Role, Weight and Alliances.
What We Know About the Cuba Thermoelectric Plant Fire
The UNE said the fire broke out in unit 1 of the plant, in Mayabeque province, and described it as large. Periódico Cubano, CiberCuba and Martí Noticias all carried the UNE notice that the unit left the grid immediately.
The UNE said firefighters were working to put the blaze out. By about 9 a.m. it said the flames were under control, and OnCuba relayed that no injuries were reported.
The Energy and Mines Ministry said on X that the fire was controlled with no injuries, as CiberCuba reported. Radio Jaruco said the flames were out by 10:24 a.m., and 14ymedio cites the state company for the same time.
Radio Jaruco, a state-run local station, blamed an oil leak at the front of the rotor, spotted in time by the operator. OnCuba, CiberCuba and Martí Noticias relayed that account, and 14ymedio attributes the same wording to state sources, but no independent source confirms it.
Martí Noticias said the plant confirmed that nobody was hurt but declined to discuss causes. 14ymedio added that smoke rose in a tall black column, visible in images from Radio Jaruco.
How the Fire Hit Cuba’s Grid on Friday
The UNE’s 6 a.m. report, issued before the fire, showed 740 megawatts (MW) available against demand of 2,260 MW. That meant outages of 1,540 MW, and Martí Noticias noted that these figures do not yet include the loss of unit 1.
For the evening peak the UNE forecast demand of 2,900 MW with the same 740 MW available. That leaves a shortfall of 2,160 MW and expected outages of 2,190 MW, as Periódico Cubano and CiberCuba set out.
Periódico Cubano noted that the available output would not cover even a third of expected evening consumption. 14ymedio put the evening shortfall near 2,200 MW, in line with the UNE’s figures, and said the UNE reported the Felton plant disconnected hours later.
Thursday was already hard, with outages lasting 24 hours and peaking at 2,094 MW at 7:30 p.m. The UNE admitted that peak was higher than planned. It blamed limits at units 3 and 4 of the Cienfuegos plant and at unit 2 of the Santa Cruz plant itself.
The same UNE report listed unit 2 at Santa Cruz and a unit at the Antonio Guiteras plant in Matanzas as out. Also out were unit 2 at Felton in Holguín and units 3 and 6 at Renté, with three more in maintenance.
OnCuba put at eight the other thermoelectric units out for breakdowns or maintenance, among the country’s 16. Earlier strain is covered in Cuba Grid Splits in East as 1,680 MW Shortfall Looms and in Cuba Grid Failure: Line Trips, Not Gunfire, Caused 8th Blackout of 2026.
A Plant With a Year of Breakdowns
Periódico Cubano and CiberCuba say the Santa Cruz station, finished in 1991 with Soviet technology, has three units and 295 MW of capacity. It burns domestic crude, which the outlets say saves about US$400,000 a day in imports.
Both outlets list problems at the plant through 2026, starting with a unit 1 breakdown in February. Turbine-regulation faults followed in April and May, and in July a pore in the economizer, a boiler component, stopped unit 2.
14ymedio recalls other serious incidents, including damage to unit 2 at Felton in July 2022, which it says is still out. It argues that ageing equipment and thin safety measures make accidents more likely.
The stabiliser for now is that the fire was contained quickly and no injuries were reported. 14ymedio and CiberCuba say units 2 and 3 of the Santa Cruz plant were preparing to resume work, per state sources.
What It Means for You
Travellers should expect long daily blackouts across the island, and should ask lodgings about generators or battery backup before booking. Flights face a separate strain, covered in Cuba Airports Lack Jet Fuel Until 1 November.
Relatives calling Cuba from the United States should expect gaps in phone and internet service when power is short. Aid groups and firms with Cuban partners should plan for interrupted operations while unit 1 is out.
The fire itself was contained within hours, so the main concern for visitors is the added weight on an already strained grid. The UNE publishes daily outage forecasts, which are the best guide to each evening.
What Is Not Known
The cause is not established, because the oil-leak account comes only from state-run Radio Jaruco and, per 14ymedio, the state company itself. The start time also varies, from about 6 a.m. in OnCuba to 6:55 a.m. in the UNE notice.
None of the sources reviewed gives a figure for the damage or says how long unit 1 will stay out. CiberCuba says photographs show severe damage to the structure and its cover, but that is its own reading of the images.
It is unclear how the UNE counts unit 1, since the evening forecast keeps availability at the 6 a.m. figure of 740 MW. Martí Noticias said outages could rise in later reports.
Accounts of units 2 and 3 differ, with the UNE’s morning list showing unit 2 as out and later state-sourced reports saying both were preparing to restart. The next daily UNE report should show whether Friday evening’s outages match the 2,190 MW forecast.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at the Santa Cruz del Norte plant?
A large fire broke out in unit 1 of the Ernesto Guevara de la Serna thermoelectric plant in Mayabeque at about 6:55 a.m. on Friday 16 October. The UNE said the unit went offline and the flames were controlled by about 9 a.m.
Was anyone hurt in the fire?
No injuries were reported, according to the UNE as relayed by OnCuba and to the Energy and Mines Ministry as cited by CiberCuba. Martí Noticias says the plant also confirmed nobody was hurt.
What caused the fire?
The cause is not established. State-run Radio Jaruco said an oil leak at the front of the rotor started it, but no independent source has confirmed that.
How large are the blackouts expected on Friday evening?
The UNE forecast demand of 2,900 MW with 740 MW available, a shortfall of 2,160 MW and outages of 2,190 MW. These are projections, and Martí Noticias noted that later reports could be worse.
How old is the Santa Cruz del Norte plant?
Periódico Cubano and CiberCuba say it was finished in 1991 with Soviet technology. It has three units and 295 MW of installed capacity, and it burns domestic crude.
When will unit 1 return to service?
That is not known. None of the sources reviewed gives a damage estimate or a repair timetable.
Sources: Periódico Cubano, 16 October 2026; 14ymedio, 16 October 2026; Martí Noticias, 16 October 2026; CiberCuba, 16 October 2026; CiberCuba, damage update, 16 October 2026; OnCuba, 16 October 2026. Figures come from the Unión Eléctrica (UNE) daily reports and notices as carried by these outlets.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief