The eastern provinces of Cuba woke up this Wednesday completely disconnected from the National Electric System (SEN), following the decision by the Electric Union (UNE) to cut off the supply across the region as part of the emergency protocol in response to Hurricane Melissa, which hit the east with sustained winds of 160 km/h and a category 2 rating.
The engineer Lázaro Guerra Hernández, general director of Electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM), confirmed on state television that since Sunday afternoon, Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo have been "without serviced load and with zero electricity generation," while Las Tunas is "practically disconnected."
"After six in the evening, we had already disconnected the eastern provinces of the country... the three units of the Renté thermoelectric plant, unit one of Felton, and the site in Moa went out of service. The balance between generation and demand is negative: more generation was lost than was disconnected," acknowledged Guerra Hernández.
The official explained that the total shutdown was a preventive decision to protect the generating plants and prevent structural damage, but acknowledged that the impact has caused “significant and ongoing disruptions” across the country, as the loss of generation in the east affected the stability of the national grid.
In a morning information note, UNE indicated that the generation deficit will remain high from Camagüey to Pinar del Río, and only a slight improvement is expected throughout the day with the addition of units 3 from CTE Céspedes (Cienfuegos), 3 from Santa Cruz del Norte, and 6 from Nuevitas.
The National Cargo Office confirmed that the repair brigades are concentrated in Sancti Spíritus and Ciego de Ávila, ready to move to the east as soon as the winds die down and it is possible to assess the damage.
Meanwhile, thousands of families in the east remain without electricity, cut off from communication, and under intense rainfall. Reports from Santiago and Guantánamo confirm coastal flooding and hurricane-force winds.
Civil Defense has maintained the Cyclonic Alarm Phase in six provinces, while Cubans face one of the most extensive blackouts in recent years, right at the most critical moment of Melissa's passing.
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