Blackouts show no mercy in Cuba: electric deficit exceeds 1,700 MW during peak hours

The blackouts continue to severely affect the Cuban population, with power outages lasting almost throughout the day and a deficit that is approaching critical levels once again.

According to the latest from the Unión Eléctrica, a peak hour impact of up to 1,720 megawatts (MW) is forecasted for this Tuesday, reflecting the deep deterioration of the National Electric System (SEN).

According to the official report, for the night peak a capacity of 1,560 MW is estimated against a maximum demand of 3,250 MW, resulting in a deficit of 1,690 MW. If the expected conditions persist, the impact will reach similar figures, prolonging blackouts in much of the country.

The situation of the SEN in the last 24 hours confirms the severity of the situation. The electric service was affected throughout the day and was only briefly restored at 3:40 AM, before being interrupted again just 35 minutes later. The maximum impact the previous day was 1,786 MW, recorded at 6:40 PM.

Among the main incidents are multiple failures at key thermoelectric plants, such as units 5 in Mariel, 6 in Nuevitas, 2 in Felton, and 3 at the Antonio Maceo thermal power plant. Additionally, there are units out of service for maintenance and 576 MW unavailable in thermal generation.

The deficit is further exacerbated by the lack of fuel. According to the Electric Union, 96 distributed generation plants, with a capacity of 883 MW, remain out of service for this reason, in addition to 165 MW that are unavailable due to a lack of lubricant, resulting in a total of 1,048 MW affected solely by supply issues.

Although photovoltaic solar parks contributed 2,334 MWh during the day, with a peak of 474 MW at the time of highest radiation, their contribution remains insufficient to compensate for the collapse of traditional thermal generation.

While the electricity deficit remains at alarming levels, millions of Cubans continue to face prolonged blackouts, impacting rest, food supply, and daily life, in a context of economic and energy crisis that shows no signs of improvement in the short term.