The National Electric System (SEN) continues to face a critical situation this December 30, 2025, with blackouts occurring 24 hours a day and a generation deficit exceeding 1,700 megawatts (MW) during peak demand hours, according to reported by the Electric Union (UNE).
According to the post, during midday there is an anticipated impact of 950 MW, while at peak nighttime the deficit will reach 1,760 MW, resulting in prolonged power outages across the country.
Continuous blackouts and rising figures
The official report indicates that on the previous day, the service was impacted for 24 hours, with a peak disruption of 1,882 MW at 6:20 PM, even outside of peak demand hours, which reflects the extreme fragility of the system.
At 6:00 in the morning, the availability of the National Electric System (SEN) was only 1,420 MW, compared to a demand of 2,100 MW, which already caused an immediate impact of 650 MW. By midday, the authorities reiterated that the impact would rise again to 950 MW.
Power plants out of service and lack of fuel
Among the main incidents reported are breakdowns in key units of the thermoelectric system, including:
Unit 5 of the Mariel CTE
Unit 2 of the CTE Felton
Unit 6 of the CTE Renté
This is complemented by scheduled maintenance in Unit 2 of the Santa Cruz CTE and Unit 4 of the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes CTE in Cienfuegos.
The limitations in thermal generation have left 656 MW out of service, while the lack of fuel remains one of the most determining factors of the crisis. According to the report:
93 distributed generation plants are out of service, affecting 754 MW
108 MW unavailable at the Moa Fuel Plant
35 MW out of service at the Melones Patana
142 MW unavailable due to lack of lubricant
A total of 1,039 MW are offline due to issues related to fuel.
Insufficient solar energy to cover the deficit
Although the government highlighted the production from the 34 new solar photovoltaic parks, which generated 3,339 MWh with a peak capacity of 630 MW during peak hours, this contribution remains insufficient to offset the decline in thermal generation.
Forecast for peak hours
For peak demand hours, the authorities anticipate recovering 150 MW from distributed generation engines that are currently out of service due to a lack of fuel. Nevertheless, the outlook remains critical.
An availability of 1,570 MW is estimated against a maximum demand of 3,300 MW, resulting in a deficit of 1,730 MW and a real impact of up to 1,760 MW during the night peak.
The persistence of prolonged blackouts is once again impacting the daily lives of millions of Cubans, affecting food preservation, access to water, healthcare, and rest, with no short-term structural solution in sight.
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