UNE predicts blackouts for this Tuesday due to a generation deficit close to 500 MW

TheElectrical Union of Cuba (UNE) predicted for this Tuesday a deficit in generation capacity close to 500 MW during peak hours, a situation that implies another day of blackouts for Cubans.

“For the peak hour, an availability of 2,415 MW and a maximum demand of 2,830 MW is estimated, for a deficit of 415 MW, so if the expected conditions continue, an impact of 485 MW is forecast during this time,” indicated the UNE. in theirsocial networks.

The day before, the state company that monopolizes the electricity service in the country had announced a deficit of 579 MW in energy generation for peak hour.

In its statement this Tuesday, the company indicated that in that time slot "the maximum impact was 399 MW", a figure lower than predicted, and that it constitutes an anomaly in its information policy, marked by forecasts that are usually surpassed by the reality.

“Unit 6 of the Mariel CTE and the Guiteras CTE unit are out of service due to a breakdown. Unit 4 of the CTE Cienfuegos, unit 1 of the CTE Felton and units 4 and 6 of the CTE Renté are under maintenance,” the company headed by Alfredo López Valdés said this Tuesday.

With the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant - the largest in the country - out of service, as well as the Felton plant in Holguín, Cubans continue to suffer electricity outages and observe how the National Electric System (SEN) deteriorates even more.

After four almost massive blackouts in just ten days in February,users have expressed their outrage and they directly blame the authorities for a crisis that seems to get worse and have no end.

Faced with the deterioration of the SEN, which has been worsening for years, the governorMiguel Diaz-Canel At the end of August, it announced its strategy to normalize the electrical service in the country.

“Minimize blackouts before the end of the year”, “develop investments and maintenance in 2023 to achieve stability” and “change the country's energy matrix”, were thelines of action announced by the ruler.

However, far from improving, the situation is getting worse and Díaz-Canel blames the service cuts on forest fires and high energy transfers from west to east and speaks of“the very difficult days that our people live in February”.

At the beginning of the year, however, the government announced thatPower outages would return from February due to the need to carry out maintenance works on thermoelectric plants. With February over, the SEN is reeling and, rather than improving, it seems that worsening is possible.