Related videos:
Cuba faces another critical day in the National Electric System (SEN) this Saturday, with an anticipated deficit of 1,970 MW during peak hours and an estimated impact of 2,040 MW, just one day after the country reported interruptions throughout the 24 hours and a maximum impact of 1,981 MW at 6:30 PM due to a lack of generation capacity, according to the official information note on the status of the SEN dated December 6, 2025.
In the report, the authorities reported at 06:00 a power availability of 1,430 MW against a demand of 2,500 MW, with 1,080 MW already affected by a deficit, and warned that by noon, the impact could increase to 1,200 MW.
The information describes a system simultaneously pressured by failures in several thermal power plants, scheduled maintenance, and, above all, by the lack of fuel that keeps a significant portion of distributed generation out of service.
Among the main incidents reported are breakdowns in Unit 5 of the Diez de Octubre Power Plant, Units 2 of Felton, and Unit 5 of Renté. Additionally, maintenance is being carried out on Units 2 and 3 of Santa Cruz and Unit 4 of the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Power Plant (Cienfuegos).
Additionally, the report accounts for 576 MW out of service due to thermal generation limitations.
The situation worsens due to the impact of fuel: the report details 90 distributed generation plants stopped, with 893 MW unavailable, in addition to five fuel engines in Moa (68 MW) and 69 MW offline due to a lack of lubricant, for a total of 1,030 MW affected by this issue.
In the morning, at 9:18, there was also a report of the shutdown of Unit 6 of the Diez de Octubre Power Plant due to a CAR discharge, which resulted in a DAF of 30.2 MW.
Amid the deficit, the report highlighted the contribution of the 33 new photovoltaic solar parks, which produced 2,975 MWh the previous day and reached a maximum output of 528 MW at noon, although this support does not manage to compensate for the shortfall when demand rises in the late afternoon and evening.
For peak hours, the official forecast sets a maximum demand of 3,400 MW while maintaining availability at 1,430 MW, resulting in a deficit of 1,970 MW and a projected impact of 2,040 MW if the expected conditions persist, extending the strain on households and basic services following the previous day of continuous blackouts.
The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, anticipated that 2026 will be “slightly better” due to repairs in thermoelectric plants and increased solar power capacity, but he warned that the lack of fuel and the condition of the electro-energy system (SEN) will prevent the elimination of blackouts.
He stated that the energy situation will remain pressured next year despite the incorporation of recently repaired thermoelectric plants and the completion of the 1,000 MW of solar energy planned for this year.
According to the official, the country will begin the next calendar year with more operable infrastructure than in 2025, but he clarified that this capacity cannot be sustained without a stable supply of hydrocarbons, which does not currently exist.
Filed under: