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The Electric Union (UNE) revealed that Cuba experienced another full day of extensive blackouts on Tuesday and warned that it faces a deficit of over 1,800 MW during peak hours today, a figure that describes the collapse of the system without the need for adjectives.
The energy crisis, which the government continues to leave unresolved despite years of promises, opaque investments, and constant "scheduled maintenance," has reached a scale that forces the population to live without electricity for 24 consecutive hours in many areas of the country.
According to the official statement, the electric system was affected throughout the day, with a maximum impact due to a generation capacity deficit of 1704 MW at 6:20 PM.
This Wednesday, national demand continues to far exceed available capacity. At 6:00 am, it was around 1500 MW, compared to a demand of 2382 MW. This shortfall resulted in more than 900 MW of outages.
For the average, the deficit will rise to 950 MW.
During peak hours, the maximum demand is estimated at 3300 MW, while actual availability remains at only 1500 MW. The result is a deficit of 1800 MW and a projected impact of 1870 MW, a figure that confirms the country is still experiencing widespread blackouts.
Behind these numbers lies a system on the brink of collapse.
The breakdowns, which are part of daily life, currently affect Unit 6 of the Antonio Maceo thermoelectric plant and Unit 2 of Felton.
Meanwhile, three other thermal power plants at CTE Mariel, Santa Cruz, and Cienfuegos are out of service for maintenance.
This is compounded by significant limitations in thermal generation, which keep 546 MW out of service with no clear date for recovery.
The situation is worsening with the chronic fuel supply issue: 95 distributed generation plants are idle due to lack of fuel, nearly 100 MW in the engines at the Moa site are inactive, and an additional 68 MW remain unused because of a shortage of lubricant.
In total, the country loses 998 MW solely due to this cause.
It is not about isolated failures, but rather a system that has been operating at its limit for years, without efficient investments and sustained by fixes that are increasingly failing.
Although the Government tries to showcase progress, such as the energy production from 33 new photovoltaic solar parks -which generated 2,827 MWh and contributed a maximum capacity of 584 MW-, this figure is insufficient in a country where demand far exceeds availability and whose central infrastructure still relies on aging, poorly maintained plants without fuel.
Havana also reported issues: the provincial Electric Company confirmed on that the capital was without electricity for more than seven hours.
The service was restored shortly before 11:00 PM. The report notes that in the early morning hours, "there was no impact from deficits," an attempt at relief that only highlights the normalization of the blackout as part of daily life.
While the government continues to blame breakdowns, maintenance issues, and fuel shortages, the reality is clear: state inefficiency has led Cuba to depend on a failing electrical system incapable of sustaining the daily lives of its residents.
Today, the population is once again facing a country that is gradually fading, not only due to a lack of electricity but also due to a lack of solutions.
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