Cuba wakes up with over 1,600 MW of electricity deficit and blackouts throughout the country

Cuba continues to be mired in a deep energy crisis, with blackouts that lasted throughout the 24 hours of Thursday, November 27, according to the latest report from the Unión Eléctrica (UNE).

The generation capacity deficit reached 1,850 megawatts (MW) at 7:00 p.m. the previous day, a figure that reflects the severe instability of the National Electric System (SEN).

At 6:00 a.m. this Friday, the total availability of the National Electric System (SEN) was only 1,560 MW, compared to a demand of 2,450 MW, leaving 980 MW of consumers without service. For peak consumption hours, the National Electric Company (UNE) anticipates an impact of 1,610 MW, confirming that power outages will continue throughout the day.

Breakdowns and maintenance

Among the main causes of the crisis are:

• Breakdown at Unit 2 of the Felton thermoelectric plant (CTE), one of the most important in the country.
• Scheduled maintenance at the CTE Mariel (unit 5), Santa Cruz (unit 2), and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes (unit 4) in Cienfuegos.
• Additional limitations in thermal generation, with 526 MW out of service.

The shortage of fuel and lubricants continues to worsen the situation. According to the report, 96 distributed generation plants are currently offline, resulting in a loss of 868 MW, along with an additional 63 MW unavailable due to a lack of lubricant. In total, 931 MW are affected for this reason.

Although the 33 new photovoltaic solar parks generated 2,847 MWh on Thursday, with a maximum capacity of 507 MW, their contribution remains insufficient to offset the overall deficit of the system.

Prolonged blackouts in Havana

The confirmed that the capital also experienced prolonged disruptions. The service was interrupted for 14 hours and 25 minutes, with a peak impact of 290 MW at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Electricity was partially restored at 2:50 a.m. on Friday, but the company acknowledged that the planned schedule could not be met, and that a new deficit was recorded again in the early morning hours.

Despite official announcements about the addition of new solar parks and the gradual re-entry of thermoelectric units into maintenance, the situation of the SEN remains critical.

The national generation is still far below demand, and the lack of fuel, compounded by frequent breakdowns, keeps the Cuban population caught between darkness and despair.