Six hours without power in Havana and more than 1,900 MW of deficit: Cuba plunges into darkness

The Cuban electrical system is experiencing another widespread collapse this Monday, with prolonged blackouts across the country and reports of impacts exceeding 1,900 megawatts (MW) during peak hours, according to the official statement from the Electric Union (UNE).

The Electric Company of Havana confirmed that the capital was virtually plunged into darkness since 6:39 p.m. on Sunday, with a maximum impact of 359 MW reported at 6:20 p.m., which shut down five of the six distribution blocks.

The complete restoration of the service was achieved past 12:06 a.m. on Sunday, after more than six hours of continuous interruption.

On its , the company acknowledged that "it was not possible to meet the communicated schedule" due to low base generation availability, and that an additional 100 MW of emergency capacity was affected.

Although there were no active outages at the end of his report, he warned that if the availability of the National Electrical System (SEN) does not improve, unplanned blackouts could occur, affecting blocks and circuits "due to emergencies."

According to the national report from this Monday, the SEN had an availability of 1,360 MW against a demand of 2,150 MW, resulting in an initial deficit of 750 MW that gradually increased.

During peak hours, an impact of 1,905 MW is expected, due to breakdowns at the thermoelectric plants of Mariel, Felton, Antonio Maceo, and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, as well as the lack of fuel that keeps more than 100 distributed plants out of service.

For its part, the Havana Electric Company plans phased power cuts from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 a.m. on Monday, affecting all sectors of the capital, although the company itself warns that the schedules could change due to new breakdowns.

While the 38 solar photovoltaic parks in the country contributed 473 MW at their peak, this contribution does not compensate for the decline in thermal generation or the diesel shortage.

The collapse of the SEN confirms the worsening of the energy crisis that has been affecting Cuba since the capture of Nicolás Maduro and the end of Venezuelan supplies. With outdated plants, a lack of fuel, and rising demand, Cuba is facing an unprecedented electrical situation since the "Special Period."