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The Electric Union of Cuba (UNE) predicted a day of widespread power outages across the country for this Tuesday, due to a generation deficit that could lead to blackouts of nearly 1,800 megawatts (MW) during peak hours.
In its Informative Note on the status of the National Electric System (SEN), the state-owned company acknowledged that the electric service was affected for 24 hours the previous day and continued to be interrupted during the early hours of today.
The highest reported impact on Monday was 1,714 MW at 7:20 PM, a figure lower than predicted, but it clearly highlights the ongoing energy crisis that the island has been experiencing for months.
The availability of the SEN at 6:00 AM was reported at 1,640 MW, compared to a demand of 2,620 MW, resulting in an immediate deficit of 980 MW.
The UNE estimates that during peak consumption hours —between 6:00 PM and 10:00 PM— the deficit could exceed 1,700 MW, leading to prolonged and widespread power outages in nearly all provinces, which it placed at 1,780 MW.
Among the main causes of the energy collapse are breakdowns in several thermoelectric power plants, such as Unit 2 of Felton, Unit 3 of Santa Cruz, Unit 8 of Mariel, and Unit 3 of Renté. In addition, other plants like Carlos Manuel de Céspedes in Cienfuegos remain under scheduled maintenance.
The report also outlines serious issues with the supply of fuel and lubricants, with 64 distributed generation plants out of service, representing a loss of 719 MW in capacity.
Although the 32 new photovoltaic solar parks generated 2,951 MWh on the previous day, their impact remains insufficient to reverse the deficit.
The October blackouts leave millions of Cubans on edge as they endure daily power cuts lasting several hours, with no clear indication of improvement.
Meanwhile, the government remains silent about concrete measures to stabilize the electrical system, amid a crisis that is impacting the domestic economy and exacerbating social discontent across the country.
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