HAVANA, Sept 11, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Cubans were in despair Wednesday after their cash-strapped communist country plunged into its fifth nationwide power blackout in a year.

"A total disconnection of the SEN electricity system has occurred, which may be associated with an unexpected shutdown" of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric power plant, the energy ministry said on its X account.

It added that it was investigating the outage, which happened at around 9:15 am (1315GMT).

Cuba is already in the throes of its worst economic crisis in three decades.

In recent years it has been plagued by hours-long daily blackouts, recurring electricity system breakdowns and an acute shortage of fuel to keep producing power.

The recent installation of 30 solar parks, with Chinese funding and expertise, has not yet alleviated the situation.

"Yet again, we're going backward. Yet again, a lost day! Anguish and sadness, and for some, despair," said Alina Gutierrez, a 62-year-old housewife, who learned of the new outage while shopping at a fruit and vegetable market in central Havana.

She rushed home to stockpile water -- electricity is used to pump water into apartments in Havana -- while "waiting to see how long this will last."

The Antonio Guiteras plant is the biggest of the communist-run island's eight decrepit oil-fired power plants, some of which are more than 40 years old.

On Sunday, five of the nation's 15 provinces were left in the dark for several hours due to a breakdown of the grid.

In October 2024, the island was plunged into darkness for several days following a shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras plant.

The blackouts have led to rare anti-government protests.

Cuba has attempted to plug the hole in its generating capacity with floating electric plants rented from a Turkish company.

It also uses generators fueled by crude oil, while struggling to find enough petrol for the island's cars, tractors and ambulances.