Energy: Without gas or electricity, kitchens in Old Havana turn off

Havana/Finding a place to have lunch in the historic center of the Cuban capital has become another obstacle course. To the blackouts, increasingly frequent in an area that for years enjoyed the advantages of underground electrical circuitsdue to being a heritage and tourist neighborhood, this Saturday there was a lack of manufactured gas, whose supply suffered new cuts since the previous day.

As confirmed 14ymedionumerous restaurants and cafes kept their stoves off. Some were only selling drinks or snacks and many others were not even open.

To the blackouts, increasingly frequent in an area that for years enjoyed the advantages of underground circuits, this Saturday is added the lack of manufactured gas

In the picturesque Peluqueros Alley, businesses kept their doors open, although the kitchens were missing an essential ingredient: gas. The shortage hampered the service in the establishments in the area, located on Aguiar Street, between Peña Pobre and Misiones Avenue, in the Santo Ángel neighborhood, and also in other nearby locations.

Among those affected were Paladar La Lore, Café Fortuna Joe and the Cuba 54 restaurant, which traditionally offer a diverse menu that includes Cuban and international food.

The search for a hot lunch was also unsuccessful a few blocks away. The Ateneo, in Prado, between Refugio and Genios, was without gas or electricity. Further south, the always very busy Venamí pizzeria on Belgium Avenue, between Lamparilla and Teniente Rey, remained closed.

The Manufactured Gas Company reported this Friday of a decrease in natural gas deliveries at its production plants. The reduction caused low pressures and partial or total damages in different areas of the distribution networks. The statement, released by the Havana government, did not identify the affected municipalities or specify when the service would be restored.

Accustomed for years to a more stable electricity supply than other neighborhoods, many businesses in Old Havana and Central Havana had not needed to invest in power plants, batteries or other alternatives to maintain their services during blackouts. Now, with more and more frequent outages, this lack of preparation has become an added problem.

The installation of solar panels is not easy in these neighborhoods either. The deterioration of the buildings and the characteristics of the roofs complicate a solution that in other parts of the city may be more accessible

The installation of solar panels is not easy in these neighborhoods either. The age of the buildings, the deterioration of numerous buildings and the characteristics of the roofs and terraces complicate a solution that in other parts of the city may be more accessible. But if blackouts can be overcome with our own alternatives, the lack of gas is more difficult to resolve, because it depends on the restoration of supply through the network.

Not even the underground network is now free from breakdowns. On August 29, eight circuits of Old Havana they were left without service. A month before, residents of the municipality they had alerted that frequent blackouts could further damage the facilities. The infrastructure was already showing signs of deterioration more than a decade ago: in September 2015, 14ymedio reported a fault which affected 23 blocks of Central Havana and forced the repair of a century-old network.

The electricity crisis itself has contributed to aggravating the difficulties with gas. In October, the Manufactured Gas Company explained that the shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras and Ernesto Guevara thermoelectric plants had forced the use of more natural gas to sustain generation in the Energas power plants, reducing the raw material available for the production plants in Havana and Marianao.

Already in August, a breakdown at the Canasí collecting center It had affected seven municipalities in the capital, including Old Havana and Central Havana. In the gastronomic businesses of El Vedado, images very similar to those that today multiply throughout Old Havana were seen.