Blackouts show no mercy in Cuba: Seven thermal power plants out of service and high deficit

The energy situation in Cuba remains critical, although the forecast for blackouts today has slightly decreased: to 1,436 MW.

During yesterday, the service was interrupted for 24 consecutive hours, extending into the early hours of today.

The highest recorded impact was 1,678 MW at 6:40 p.m., a figure that exceeded the 1,575 MW anticipated by the Electric Union (UNE).

As of 7:00 a.m. today, the situation remained critical. Generation availability barely reached 1,270 MW, compared to a demand of 2,260 MW, leaving 1,032 MW offline.

It is expected that the situation will worsen around noon, with an estimated impact of 1,450 MW.

Seven thermal units are out of service due to breakdowns or maintenance, two fewer than yesterday.

Currently, the CTE Guiteras and unit 2 of the CTE Felton are out of service due to faults.

Units 2 of the Santa Cruz power plant, 3 and 4 of the Cienfuegos power plant, 1 of the Felton power plant, and 5 of the Renté power plant are under maintenance.

This is compounded by limitations in thermal generation of 342 MW, further exacerbating the crisis.

The lack of fuel remains a decisive factor in the precariousness of the system. A total of 55 distributed generation plants are out of service, representing an impact of 305 MW.

Additionally, the Mariel fuel plant has 119 MW offline, bringing the total generation lost due to this reason to 424 MW.

It is expected that only 100 MW will be reinstated in distributed generation engines affected by fuel, along with 119 MW with the commissioning of 7 engines at the Mariel fuel plant, 105 MW with the activation of 9 engines at the Moa fuel plant, and 220 MW with the anticipated commissioning of Unit 1 of the Felton CTE, currently in the startup process.

The projections for the evening peak hours do not present a very encouraging outlook.

Even with the aforementioned additions, the availability will only reach 1814 MW, while the maximum demand is estimated at 3180 MW, resulting in a deficit of 1,366 MW.

If the current conditions persist, the impact during this time would rise to 1,436 MW, perpetuating the energy crisis and uncertainty for the population.

The Electric Company of Havana, for its part, informed its customers that "considering the generation capacity deficit in the National Electric System, for today" it is necessary to interrupt the electric service to customers in the capital associated with Blocks #1 and #2 during the hours from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The entity added that in the afternoon, Block #3 will be affected from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The note did not indicate that any disruptions are expected in Havana from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

However, in a more recent notice, the Havana Electric Company indicated that this Friday "Block #4 is affected due to an emergency, until 10 a.m."

Nevertheless, it is the provinces in the interior of the country that continue to experience the most severe blackouts, which is a recurring complaint among thousands of those affected, who criticize the fact that the capital receives preferential treatment compared to the rest.

The exit of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant from the National Electric System shortly after seven in the evening on Monday—just 24 hours after having returned to the NES following another breakdown—was the catalyst for a crisis that was already taking shape with frequent failures and a lack of fuel.

The journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso has stated - citing Bernardo Espinosa - that work is being done on the Guiteras breakdown and it is expected to return to the SEN this Saturday. In the case of Felton, it is estimated to be online during the peak hours of this Friday night.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Energy Crisis in Cuba