Ankara: Cuba's national power grid collapsed for the third time in less than 10 days on Tuesday, following the shutdown of a major generating unit that led to a system-wide failure, operator UNE announced on the US social media platform X. The shutdown of the Felton 1 unit caused an oscillation in the system's parameters with an abrupt change in frequency, resulting in the National Electric System (SEN) going offline.

According to Anadolu Agency, the operator stated that efforts were underway to restore power to the thermoelectric plants in the western part of Cuba as part of the recovery process. Preparations for a phased restoration of service are in motion, with schemes being developed from the SEN to create microsystems. Once the necessary conditions are met, the energization of vital centers will commence.

This marks the third nationwide blackout in less than a week, following a previous incident on July 10. Cuba is currently facing its worst economic crisis in decades, characterized by severe fuel shortages and repeated power failures. Authorities attribute much of the decline to stricter US measures, accusing Washington of disrupting oil supplies, exerting pressure on companies doing business with Cuba, and limiting the island's access to international credit and financing.