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The Cuban Electric Union (UNE) announced that the country will continue to experience severe blackouts due to the energy crisis, with widespread impacts across the national territory.
According to the official report, service was disrupted for 24 hours on Tuesday due to capacity deficits, a situation that persisted throughout the night. The highest recorded impact reached 1749 MW at 7:10 PM, coinciding with peak consumption hours. This figure exceeded forecasts due to consumption being higher than predicted.
On Wednesday, March 5th, the availability of electricity generation remains insufficient to meet demand, which will result in prolonged interruptions in the power supply.
At 7:00 am, the availability of the National Electric System (SEN) was 1315 MW, while the demand was 2380 MW, resulting in a deficit of 1099 MW. It is expected that by noon, the shortfall will rise to 1450 MW.
For the peak nighttime hours, the outlook is not promising: a supply of 1624 MW is expected against a demand of 3280 MW, resulting in a deficit of 1656 MW, with estimated blackouts of 1726 MW nationwide.
The energy deficit is due to a combination of breakdowns at thermoelectric plants, scheduled maintenance, and a lack of fuel.
Currently, Unit 5 of the Nuevitas CTE and Unit 2 of Felton are out of service due to malfunctions.
While blocks 6 of the Mariel CTE, 2 of the Santa Cruz CTE, 3 and 4 of the Cienfuegos CTE, and 5 of Renté are under maintenance.
In addition, the lack of fuel has forced the suspension of 966 MW of generation due to the shutdown of 85 distributed generation plants, the Mariel fuel plant (116 MW), the Moa fuel plant (147 MW), the Regla tractor unit (54 MW), and 8 engines from the Melones tractor unit (135 MW).
For the evening, a recovery of 120 MW is expected from distributed generation engines, in addition to the commissioning of eight engines at the Melones site (135 MW) and at the Regla site, with 54 MW.
Nevertheless, the outlook remains critical. The forecast of 1726 MW offline during peak hours, very close to the 1749 MW recorded the previous day, confirms that the national electric system is on the brink of collapse.
Scheduled blackouts in Havana
Given this situation, the announced a program of rotating power outages for this day. The affected schedules are as follows:
From 10:00 am to 3:00 pm: Blocks 1 and 2.
From 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm: Block 4.
From 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm: Block 3.
The energy situation in Cuba remains without visible improvements. Despite the announced investments in the electric sector, the thermoelectric plants continue to be in crisis, with deteriorating infrastructure and a high dependence on fuel, whose scarcity exacerbates the crisis.
The UNE has warned that the disruptions will continue in the coming days, meaning the population will continue to experience prolonged electricity outages, affecting daily life and the country's economic activities.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Energy Crisis in Cuba
Why do blackouts continue in Cuba?
Power outages in Cuba persist due to a deficit in electricity generation resulting from failures in thermal power plants, scheduled maintenance, and a severe shortage of fuel. This combination of factors has led to an inability to meet the country's electricity demand.
What are the regions most affected by power outages in Cuba?
The central-eastern regions of Cuba are typically the most affected by blackouts due to the high energy transfers to these areas. Havana also experiences scheduled blackouts, although with a different distribution, which generates criticism regarding the management of the electricity supply in the capital compared to other regions.
What is the Cuban government doing to address the energy crisis?
Despite promises of improvements and investments in the electricity sector, the Cuban government has not implemented effective long-term solutions. The situation remains critical, with constant blackouts, and the population is expressing increasing discontent over the lack of concrete actions to resolve the crisis.
What is the impact of blackouts on the daily life of Cubans?
Power outages severely affect the daily lives of Cubans, hindering the use of essential appliances and cooking food. Additionally, they negatively impact the economy and the overall well-being of the population, generating increasing social discontent due to the prolonged and constant interruptions of electric service.
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