The Electric Union of Cuba (UNE) issued a statement regarding the critical situation of the National Electrical System (SEN) as of November 28, 2024, highlighting a significant deficit in generation capacity that has caused ongoing disruptions in the national electricity supply.
In the previous day, the service was interrupted for 24 hours due to a generation deficit, with a maximum impact recorded at 1,580 MW at 6:10 PM.
The service was restored at 2:58 AM but was interrupted again at 5:09 AM. During the peak demand hour, an additional 13 MW were affected by outages in the electrical networks of Artemisa, and authorities attribute this to the passage of Hurricane Rafael.
The situation this Thursday will not improve.
At 07:00 on November 28, the availability of the National Electric System (SEN) was reported at 1,750 MW, while demand reached 2,180 MW, resulting in a shortfall of 458 MW due to generation deficits. Additionally, 13 MW remain offline in Artemisa due to damage caused by the hurricane.
The expected deficit for midday is 800 MW. The country continues to face issues with generation due to units in outage (unit 5 of the Mariel Thermal Power Plant and unit 2 of the Felton Thermal Power Plant); and units under maintenance (unit 2 of the Santa Cruz Thermal Power Plant, units 3 and 4 of the Cienfuegos Thermal Power Plant, and unit 5 of the Renté Thermal Power Plant).
There are also thermal limitations of 427 MW, and failures due to lack of fuel resulting in 381 MW being out of service for this reason.
The forecast for tonight indicates a supply of 1,840 MW against a peak demand of 3,160 MW, resulting in a deficit of 1,320 MW. If conditions remain unchanged, a shortage of up to 1,390 MW is expected during peak hours.
The situation highlights the fragility of the Cuban electrical system, worsened by breakdowns, scheduled maintenance, and fuel shortages.
The authorities have announced the operation of six engines at the CDE Moa, which will add 90 MW to the system, although this measure is insufficient to meet the projected high demand.
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