The Electric Union (UNE) reported this Monday, April 21, a new critical peak in the blackouts in the country, with an estimated impact of up to 1858 MW during peak demand hours, which, if realized, would be the highest figure recorded in recent years, amid the sustained collapse of the national energy system.
According to the official statement issued by UNE, at 7:00 a.m. the generation availability was only 1527 MW compared to a demand of 2700 MW, resulting in an immediate shortfall of 1190 MW. By noon, it is estimated that the deficit will increase to 1350 MW, and may reach up to 1858 MW during the night if current conditions persist.
The official journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso emphasized on his social media that the estimated deficit for this Monday is one of the highest in recent years, and reported that work continues to reintegrate the damaged units into the National Electric System (SEN), especially Block 1 of the Felton thermoelectric plant, with its reintegration into the system expected to take place on Tuesday.
It is worth recalling that on February 12, the SEN faced a critical situation, with a record generation of 1,779 MW. In fact, this figure was lower than the 1,870 that UNE had estimated.
Breakdowns, maintenance issues, and fuel shortages continue to drain the national electricity grid
The report outlines serious operational issues in various thermoelectric plants in the country:
Units out of service: CTE Mariel (Unit 5), CTE Nuevitas (Unit 5), and CTE Felton (Units 1 and 2).
Scheduled maintenance: Santa Cruz (Unit 2), Cienfuegos (Units 3 and 4), Renté (Units 5 and 6).
Thermal limitations: 262 MW out of service.
Fuel shortage: 65 distributed generation plants are out of service, totaling 466 MW affected. Additionally, 78 MW more are unavailable due to a lack of lubricants.
Solar energy still without real impact
The UNE reported that the 8 new photovoltaic solar parks generated only 906 MWh on Sunday, a negligible figure compared to the needs of the SEN, whose peak demand exceeds 3,400 MW.
Cuba is still enduring a prolonged blackout
On Sunday, disruptions were recorded throughout the 24 hours, peaking at 1767 MW at 8:30 p.m., coinciding with the highest national consumption. The situation showed no improvement during the early hours of Monday, and the population continues to endure extensive power outages across the country.
Although the recovery of 125 MW from distributed generation is expected for peak hours, the energy crisis remains one of the main daily challenges for Cubans, with no visible solution in the short term.
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