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Cuba awoke this Saturday engulfed in a new day of widespread blackouts, with an expectation of impacts exceeding 1,800 megawatts (MW), according to the official report from the Electric Union (UNE) on the status of the National Electric System (SEN).
According to the information note, the electric service was affected for 24 hours on Friday, and continued to be interrupted during the early hours of Saturday. The highest outage recorded the previous day was 1,717 MW at 7:00 p.m., coinciding with the peak nighttime hours.
National energy collapse
At 6:00 AM, the SEN availability was only 1,474 MW, compared to a demand of 2,600 MW, leaving 1,135 MW affected by capacity deficit. By noon, the UNE estimates 1,150 MW out of the system.
The causes of the collapse are numerous. Among the main breakdowns, the company reports the following as out of service:
- The Unit 3 of the CTE Carlos Manuel de Céspedes (Cienfuegos)
- The Unit 2 of CTE Felton (Holguín)
- The Unit 8 of Mariel (Artemisa)
- The Unit 6 of CTE Renté (Santiago de Cuba)
This is in addition to scheduled maintenance at three other thermal plants:
- The Unit 2 of Santa Cruz del Norte
- The Unit 4 of Céspedes
- The Unit 6 of the CTE Diez de Octubre (Nuevitas)
In total, 442 MW remain out of service due to limitations in thermal generation.
Fuel crisis worsens the outlook
The shortage of fuel and lubricants continues to be one of the most critical factors:
- 68 distributed generation plants are shut down due to fuel shortage (660 MW).
- Moreover, 167 MW are unavailable due to a lack of lubricants, bringing the total impact to 827 MW solely for this reason.
Despite the planned entry of the Mariel Unit 8 (70 MW), the forecast for peak hours tonight anticipates a total availability of 1,544 MW against a maximum demand of 3,350 MW, resulting in a deficit of 1,806 MW. If conditions remain the same, the impacts could reach 1,876 MW during that time.
Solar energy: a minimal relief
The 32 new photovoltaic solar parks installed in the country contributed 2,704 MWh during the previous day, with a maximum power output of 393 MW at noon. However, this contribution remains insufficient to offset the decline in thermal generation and the scarcity of fossil fuels.
Cuban Oriente: without light or information due to storm Melissa
Meanwhile, eastern Cuba remains in an informative phase due to the progress of tropical storm Melissa, which has strengthened in recent hours, bringing intense rains and flooding to provinces such as Holguín, Granma, and Santiago de Cuba.
However, a large part of that region remains without electricity, which prevents thousands of families from being aware of the development of the weather phenomenon or receiving updated alerts.
On social media, Cubans both inside and outside the island expressed their frustration over the combination of bad weather and prolonged blackouts.
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