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Cuba struggles to restore electricity to millions of Cubans as the night falls
Cuba's capital Havana was plunged into darkness on Saturday for the second time as attempts to restore power continued in fits and start. Setbacks slowed progress, and several millions still remain without electricity throughout the island. Cuba's grid collapsed Friday evening, after a transmission cable at a Havana substation shorted. This caused a chain reaction, which shut down all power generation on the island. Early efforts were focused on providing electricity to vital services such as hospitals, water supplies and food production centres. By early Saturday evening, however, neither of Cuba’s two largest electricity plants, Felton in Holguin Province, nor Antonio Guiteras in Matanzas, was producing electricity. This left the majority of homes on the island in the dark. Lazaro Guerra said that the top official of the country in charge of electricity hoped to see both power plants come online over night, but cautioned that progress will be slow so as not to cause further setbacks. During the day Saturday, the grid operator had to start over in both the island's largest cities: Havana in the west and Santiago de Cuba in the east. The latest islandwide power grid collapse in Cuba comes after a series of nationwide blackouts that occurred late last year, which threw the fragile power generation system into near total disarray. Fuel shortages, natural catastrophes and economic crises all contributed to this. Since months, most Cubans living outside Havana are experiencing rolling blackouts. These have peaked to 20 hours per day in the last few weeks. A few hotels in Havana used generators on Saturday night to keep lights on for tourists. The street lights and stop signs on major boulevards, as well as residential areas and many bars and restaurants were all blacked out. According to the transportation ministry, flights into and out of airports in the country, as well bus travel, were not affected by the grid failure. Cubans are suffering from severe shortages in food, medicine and fuel, as well as daily blackouts that last for hours. It's difficult to keep food cool without electricity," Lazaro Hernandez said, a Havana cafeteria employee who was searching his neighborhood for ice in order to keep ham and cheese chilled overnight. We don't know for how long we will be without power. Cuba's economic problems are attributed to a Cold War U.S. embargo on trade, as well as a complex web of laws and regulations which complicate financial transactions. It also blames the difficulty in acquiring essentials such fuel and spare parts. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, tightened sanctions against the communist-run island government and promised to restore "tough" policies toward this longtime U.S. enemy. Cuba has, with China's help, invested heavily over the last year to develop large, state run solar farms. It says this will reduce the country's dependence on expensive and difficult-to-source fuels. Many Cubans like Victor Raul Bracho a Havana-based musician who was practicing for a Saturday recording session, continued to live their lives as usual despite the blackout. It's not as if we are getting used to the problems. We have to move on. Reporting by Dave Sherwood, with additional reporting from Nelson Acosta; Mario Fuentes, Anett Rios, Alien Fernandez; Susan Fenton, and Lincoln Feast.
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Cuba is still without electricity in large parts of the country after the nationwide grid collapse
Cuba was largely left without electricity on Saturday morning, after the grid of the island collapsed overnight. This knocked out power for ten million people. It also raised new questions about the viability and age of the antiquated generation system. At sunrise, island grid operator UNE reported that it was generating just a trickle - about 225 MW or less than 10% total demand. This is enough to cover vital services such as hospitals, water supply, and food production centres. Officials have begun the process to restart the generation plants that are decades old, but they did not give a timeline for the restoration of service. Cuba's grid collapsed Friday night around 8:15 p.m. (00:00 GMT), after an aging transmission line component at a Havana substation shorted. This triggered a chain of events that shut down all power generation on the island. The grid collapse comes after a series of nationwide blackouts that occurred late last year, which plunged Cuba's fragile power generation system into near total disarray. Fuel shortages, natural catastrophes and economic crisis were all factors contributing to the breakdown. Since months, most Cubans living outside of Havana are experiencing rolling blackouts. These have peaked to 20 hours per day in the last few weeks. Havana was still without electricity in large parts on Saturday morning. There was light traffic at intersections without stoplights, and the cellular internet in some places was either weak or nonexistent. Abel Bonne enjoyed the sea breeze with his friends early on Saturday morning, after a humid night without electricity. He said, "No one knows right now when the electricity will be restored." This is the first time it has happened this year. Last year, this happened three times. Cubans have fled the island in record numbers in recent years due to severe shortages of water, food and medicine. Cuba's economic problems are attributed to a Cold War U.S. embargo on trade, as well as a complex web of laws and regulations which complicate financial transactions. It also blames the difficulty in acquiring essentials such fuel and spare parts. On Saturday morning, a grid official said that Cuba was unable to upgrade antiquated transmission components and generation equipment due to the restrictions. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, tightened sanctions against the communist-run island government and promised to restore "tough" policies toward this longtime U.S. enemy. Yunior Reyes was a Havana bike taxi driver who returned to work Saturday morning, despite the blackout. He worried that his food supplies might spoil due to the heat of the day. He said, "We are all in the exact same situation." "It is a lot to do." (Reporting and editing by Susan Fenton; Additional reporting by Nelson Acosta, Anett Rios, and Dave Sherwood)
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The Russian captain who was involved in the US tanker crash appeared in UK court
The captain of the container ship that collided with a U.S. oil tanker off Britain's East Coast earlier this week appeared before an English court Saturday and was charged with gross negligence. Vladimir Motin was the captain of the Portuguese flagged Solong, which hit the Stena Immaculate tanker carrying military jet fuel on Monday morning. Motin appeared in Hull Magistrates' Court Saturday, after being charged on Friday night, over the death Mark Angelo Pernia (38), a Filipino national who was a member of the Solong crew. Amelia Katz, the prosecutor, said that the Solong had been travelling at over 15 knots (27.2 kilometres per minute) when it collided with the Stena Immaculate. The Stena Immaculate was anchored in this position since Sunday evening "over 15 hours prior to the collision occurring". She stated that Motin, who had taken over the Solong about three hours prior to the incident, was the sole person responsible for the vehicle at the time of collision. Katz stated that "for a period of more than 40 minutes prior to the collision, Solong was directly on the path for impact with Stena Immaculate which was anchored, stationary." The prosecutor said: "There was no attempt to communicate from the Solong in order to warn of an impending collision, and the Solong didn't adjust its course or pace at any point." The Stena Immaculate crew of 23 and the Solong crew of 13 were all rescued. Katz stated that some crew members tried to find Mr Pernia but were unsuccessful. Motin failed to request bail and was placed in custody. The collision resulted in a large explosion, and jet fuel was spilled into the ocean. The initial fears of an environmental catastrophe subsided when assessments revealed that the jet fuel was mostly burnt off and no other leaks were detected from either ship.
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Cuba's electric grid collapses leaving millions without power
Cuba's Energy and Mines Ministry said that the national electrical grid collapsed on Friday late at night, causing widespread blackouts across the Caribbean island nation, including the capital Havana. Officials from the Energy Ministry said that an electrical substation failed in Havana around 8:15 pm (0015 GMT), knocking power out to a large area of western Cuba including the capital. A witness reported that the lights were off across Havana’s waterfront skyline. Only a few tourist hotels operated on generators powered by fuel. Social media reports from provinces east and west, as well as outlying areas of the capital city, suggested that a large part of the 10 million-person country was without electricity. Grid failures are a result of a series of blackouts that occurred across the country in late 2018. Fuel shortages, natural catastrophes and economic crises exacerbated Cuba's fragile and outdated power generation system, which was already in shambles. Since months, rolling blackouts lasting several hours have become the norm. Cubans have been forced to flee the island as a result of severe shortages in food, medicine, and water. (Reporting and editing by William Mallard, Jacqueline Wong and Dave Sherwood)
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Brazil, the host state of COP30, denies a new road connected to climate summit
The Brazilian state that is hosting a United Nations Climate Summit this year denied any link between a road that cuts through a Brazilian rainforest protected area and the COP30 conference in November, which will bring world leaders together. Para's government said that construction of the Avenida Liberdade divided-four-lane highway began in 2020 before the state capital Belem is chosen to host this summit. According to state and federal government officials, the project, which follows an existing powerline through a conservation zone south of the City, did not receive federal funds as part of Brazil's preparations for COP30. Some locals attribute the recent progress made on the highway, which has been long discussed, to the upcoming UN summit. Tens of thousands of delegates will be expected to flood the Amazonian city, home to over 1.3 million people. "That project has been discussed for more than 20 years. But there was much resistance." Ana Claudia Cardoso is a professor of Urban Studies at the Federal University of Para. She said that the need to prepare a city for such a large event was the only justification. BBC reported last week that the state secretary of infrastructure had listed the road as one of 30 projects to prepare the city for the COP30. The state government stated that the report was not accurate. The official quoted in the report could not be reached. Reporting by Lisandra paraguassu, Brasilia; Marx Vasconcelos, Belem. Editing by Brad Haynes & Diane Craft
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Sources say that Niger has ordered three Chinese oil officials to leave the country.
Two sources familiar with this decision said on Friday that the Niger junta had ordered three Chinese oil officials to leave the country. This is the latest step taken by regional military governments in an effort to gain greater control over their resources. Sources said that the request for the departure from Niger of the directors of China National Petroleum Corporation, West African Oil Pipeline Company and joint venture SORAZ oil refinery was made Wednesday. One source close to government confirmed that the Chinese officials had left the country on Friday. Another source close to the companies involved said that the directors had been asked to leave due to disputes over the pay of local staff and pace of project work. Separately last week, Niger’s tourism ministry revoked the license of a Chinese-operated Niamey hotel, citing discriminatory practice. Requests for comment were not answered by the spokespeople of the military junta that took power through a coup on 2023 and the oil ministry in the West African nation. WAPCo and CNPC have not responded to requests for comments. SORAZ was not available for comment. Last year, the Niger signed a $400 million memorandum with CNPC in relation to the sale crude oil from Agadem. The Niger junta ripped up agreements on defence with former colonial powers France and the United States. The authorities also took control over the French nuclear fuels firm Orano's Somair mine. In Mali and Burkina Faso, military governments have used similar legal disputes to gain greater control of resources such as gold. Reporting by Moussa Acsar and Boureima Balima; Writing by Ayen deng Bior; Editing and Robbie Corey Boulet and Diane Craft
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Williams welcomes Trump's support of the Constitution Gas Pipeline
Williams Cos stated on Friday that it appreciates the support of U.S. president Donald Trump for the Constitution Natural Gas Pipeline Project through New York. It is interested in reviving the project, if the conditions are right. Trump and New York Governor Kathy Hochul met on Friday morning to discuss the possibility of reviving a project that Williams had canceled in 2020 due to opposition from New York politicians and environmentalists. Trump is in favor of a massive expansion of the energy industry and infrastructure, which he believes will lead to what he calls "energy dominance". Williams, in an email sent to the. We are interested in building Constitution Pipeline, as long as there is enough customer demand, support from Northeast Governors including Governor Hochul to reduce the risk of expensive permitting delays, legal battles and injunctions. Williams also expressed optimism about a possible reform of the permitting process in Congress, which would make it easier for projects to be advanced. Hochul's Office said that the conversation with Trump included energy policy and tariffs. While no formal decisions or agreements were made, the conversation was productive and we look forward in continuing the dialogue over the next few weeks," said Jerrel Harvey, a spokesman for the Department of State. The White House has not yet commented. The Constitution project could move up to 650 millions cubic feet of gas per day, from the Marcellus Shale formation in Pennsylvania, to New York consumers. Trump's dispute over tariffs with Canada could lead to higher electricity prices for New Yorkers. Ontario, a province in Canada, threatened to charge a 25% extra on electricity that it sent into New York earlier this week. Trevor Hunnicutt, Richard Valdmanis and Nia Williams edited the article.
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CERAWEEK and Chevron advance plans to develop US data centres with power generation
Chevron has plans to meet the demand for data centers. The oil giant recently entered the engineering and permitting phases of multiple U.S. locations to build the centers, and to provide the electricity they need, said a company executive this week. The energy consumption of U.S. Data Centers, which are basically giant server warehouses in the United States, is expected triple over the next three year as the race for artificial intelligence intensifies. Big Tech has signed unprecedented deals with utilities and nuclear power plants to access large quantities of electricity quickly. This growth, coupled with the need for large amounts of electricity quickly, is upending the power industry in the country, which has seen a record high demand following a dismal growth rate over the past two decades. It is also driving the consumption of natural gas. Big Oil has tapped into this growth. Last year, Exxon Mobil and Chevron announced that they would begin power generation for data centers, using a large portion of the natural gas produced by their companies. The oil majors have traditionally used the majority of their power generation for their own operations. Daniel Droog - Vice President of Power Solutions at Chevron - said that "the customer interest is high" in an interview given at the CERAWeek Conference in Houston, this week. It's trying to meet the need where it's needed because they are building or expanding new facilities at a pace that is ahead of power supply. Data centers that were once around 20 gigawatts are now 50 times larger and require as much electricity around the clock as a mid-sized town. Droog stated that Chevron plans to develop data centers and power plants with a capacity of around 1 GW and is targeting their completion in 2027-2028. The executive stated that "we're really focused" on speed, scale and reliability. He didn't disclose Chevron customers or the exact location of data centers in development, but he said that the company was targeting the Midwest, the West, the South and the interior west for its data centers. Chevron data centers will not be connected to a grid, and they'll be powered primarily by natural gas. Some sites may be able to accommodate carbon capture and other sites could include the installation of renewable energy. Data centers are increasingly using natural gas as a fuel. This is despite the fact that Big Tech had avoided it in their various climate pledges of recent years, which called for them to switch to renewable energy sources to power their operations. Gas-fired power stations are more efficient than other sources of energy like nuclear because the fuel is abundant and relatively cheap in the U.S. Chevron is scheduled to receive seven GE Vernova Gas turbines in 2026, which will be used for the generation of electricity. Turbines are on a growing backorder. Some companies report that orders for large turbines take five years to deliver. (Reporting and editing by Liz Hampton, Marguerita Choy and Laila Kearney)
Philippines wealth fund purchases into China-backed national grid operator
The Philippines' sovereign wealth fund Maharlika Financial investment Corp is purchasing a 20% stake in the operator of the nation's power grid, the federal government said on Monday, a first significant financial investment that tightens its grip on crucial infrastructure. National Grid Corp of the Philippines holds a 25year concession to run the country's sole power transmission operator because winning the contract in 2007. Amid intensifying tensions between Manila and Beijing over conflicts in the South China Sea, NGCP is currently the subject of a congressional probe into its compliance with franchise obligations and its ownership, with China's State Grid Corp. holding a 40% stake.
The first financial investment represents a vital opportunity for. the government to regain higher impact over the country's. important power infrastructure to guarantee that every Filipino has. access to reputable and affordable power, Philippine President. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s office stated in a statement without giving. financial information.
The offer allows Maharlika to sign up for favored shares. used by Synergy Grid & & Development Philippines (SGP), which. would provide the wealth fund two seats each at NGCP and SGP.
SGP efficiently manages 60% of NGCP through a typical. corporate structure of the latter's two biggest Filipino. investors, magnates Henry Sy Jr. and Roberto Coyiuto Jr.
Federal government financial investment in transmission would make additional. capital offered for NGCP to deploy in the pursuit of. completing transmission tasks on time, the Department of. Energy (DOE) said in a separate declaration.
Maharlika can pave the way for better coordination between. the DOE and the NGCP to assist ... speed up the affiliation of. our power grid across the archipelago, the DOE included.
The DOE said 98% of NGCP tasks between 2016 and 2024 were. delayed, some by more than nine years.
(source: Reuters)