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Cuba is facing widespread blackouts and a collapse of the National Electric System (SEN), just as the country is under alert for Hurricane Melissa, which threatens the east with heavy rains and strong winds.
In this regard, the Electric Union (UNE) informed this Friday that the electrical service was affected for 24 hours on Thursday and continued to be interrupted throughout the night.
The maximum impact from generation deficits reached 1,840 MW at 7:00 PM, a figure higher than expected, due to the non-launch of units 3 in Santa Cruz del Norte (Mayabeque) and Renté (Santiago de Cuba), respectively.
At six in the morning, the availability of the SEN was only 1,610 MW, against a demand of 2,568 MW, resulting in a deficit of 976 MW.
During peak hours, an even greater impact is forecasted, of up to 1,810 MW, which means millions of Cubans will continue to be without electricity during the night.
The main causes of the collapse are breakdowns in key units (Felton 2 in Holguín, Mariel 8 in Artemisa, and Renté 6), scheduled maintenance in Santa Cruz del Norte, Carlos M. de Céspedes in Cienfuegos, and Nuevitas in Camagüey, as well as thermal limitations that keep 467 MW out of service.
The lack of fuel worsens the situation: 71 distributed generation plants and an additional 153 MW are non-operational due to a shortage of lubricants, totaling 820 MW affected by this issue.
In Havana, the Electric Company confirmed through its page on Facebook power outages of more than 11 hours, from 5:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. on Friday, with a maximum impact of 210 MW.
The authorities acknowledged that "it was not possible to fulfill the plan" due to the low availability of the system.
The energy collapse is occurring at a critical moment, with hospitals overwhelmed by epidemics, an unprecedented health crisis, and the imminent arrival of Hurricane Melissa, which could impact the eastern region starting this weekend.
The combination of power outages, fuel shortages, and extreme weather conditions places the country in an unprecedented state of vulnerability.
The partial collapse of the national electricity grid on Thursday morning reignited the outrage of Cubans, who expressed their weariness and frustration on social media in response to what they perceive as a constant mockery.
Although the UNE later reported that the service had been restored, the reactions revealed a deep-seated discontent that cannot be erased by simple promises of official "stability."
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