The energy crisis in Cuba intensified this Sunday with a full day of blackouts and figures that approached record levels. According to the official report from the Electric Union (UNE), the outages persisted throughout the 24 hours of the day and also into the early hours of Monday.
The maximum impact due to generation deficit was 1,799 megawatts (MW), recorded at 8:30 PM on Sunday, although it did not coincide with the peak demand. The figure far exceeded the initial forecast of impacts which, according to the state company, would reach 1,675 MW.
At 6:00 AM today, the SEN showed a capacity of only 1,760 MW, against a demand of 3,210 MW, resulting in an immediate deficit of 1,538 MW. For the noon period, a shortfall of 1,340 MW is forecasted.
The situation could worsen further during peak hours, for which the UNE estimates a deficit of 1,792 MW and an impact of up to 1,862 MW, one of the highest recorded in recent weeks. This figure highlights the system's inability to meet the basic consumption needs across the country.
The causes remain multiple and structural. In this report, breakdowns are noted in unit 6 of the Mariel CTE, unit 2 of Felton, and unit 5 of Diez de Octubre. Additionally, the plants in Santa Cruz, Céspedes (Cienfuegos), and Renté are still undergoing maintenance. This is compounded by 393 MW out of service due to thermal limitations.
The fuel shortage has also left 61 distributed generation plants inoperative, resulting in a combined loss of 485 MW, in addition to the 89 MW from the Regla barges, bringing the total affected by this issue to 574 MW.
Although the partial entry of seven motors in Regla (48 MW) and the completion of Energás Boca de Jaruco (100 MW) is expected, these figures will not be enough to reverse an electrical crisis that, far from diminishing, continues to worsen with the start of August.
Second massive blackout in Havana in less than a month
In parallel, Havana was the scene of another general blackout that affected numerous municipalities since Sunday night.
According to confirmations from the Electric Company and the Ministry of Energy and Mines, a malfunction at the Naranjito substation triggered a chain reaction that affected other substations such as Príncipe, Melones, and Tallapiedra, leaving areas of Arroyo Naranjo, Diez de Octubre, Plaza, Cerro, Centro Habana, Playa, La Lisa, and other municipalities without electricity.
The incident also affected the national SEN, leading to the shutdown of Mariel 6, Energás, and the Moa motors. Although gradual recovery began early in the morning, the magnitude of the event and its recurrence —following another blackout in the capital on July 17— highlight the deep vulnerability of the Cuban electrical system.
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