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Cubans will bid farewell to 2025 with candles, coal stoves, and dinners in the dark. The Electric Union (UNE) reported that this Tuesday, December 31, the National Electric System (SEN) will remain in crisis, with an estimated deficit of 1,315 megawatts (MW) during peak hours, which guarantees blackouts across the country even on New Year's Eve.
According to the official statement from UNE, the electrical service was consistently affected for 24 hours on Monday and was only momentarily restored at 2:44 a.m. on Tuesday. However, just three hours later, at 5:04 a.m., the interruptions began again due to a generation deficit.
The maximum impact recorded yesterday was 1,660 MW at 6:10 p.m., coinciding with the peak demand period. On the morning of this Wednesday, the availability of the SEN was 1,480 MW against a demand of 1,900 MW, resulting in 412 MW affected due to a shortfall.
A collapsed system
The main causes of the crisis are the breakdowns in the thermoelectric plants (CTE) of Mariel, Felton, Renté and Santa Cruz, as well as maintenance work at the plants in Santa Cruz and Cienfuegos. Additionally, there are 603 MW limited due to thermal failures and another 872 MW unavailable due to lack of fuel and lubricants, highlighting the severity of the deterioration of the national energy system.
The UNE expects to recover 150 MW through distributed generation engines, the commissioning of Unit 1 of the CTE Santa Cruz (60 MW), the Melones pump (35 MW), and six Fuel Moa engines (90 MW). However, even with these additions, the deficit during the nighttime peak will be around 1,285 MW, leading to an estimated impact of 1,315 MW.
No respite during the celebrations
Scheduled power outages have become a recurring issue on the island. On Christmas Eve, December 24th, widespread blackouts were also reported, and now, on New Year's Eve, Cubans will once again face their New Year's dinner without electricity, amidst a climate of discontent and resignation.
Despite the 34 new photovoltaic solar parks, which produced 3,038 MWh, renewable energy continues to be insufficient to meet the national demand, which far exceeds the actual capacity of the Cuban electrical system.
Meanwhile, the regime authorities insist that efforts are being made to stabilize the power grid, although daily reports confirm that the country's energy situation continues to show no signs of recovery.
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