An electricity deficit of over 1,700 MW will worsen blackouts in Cuba during peak hours

The Electric Union of Cuba (UNE) anticipates impacts of up to 1,760 MW this Sunday during peak hours, due to the generation deficit which is causing prolonged blackouts throughout the country.

According to the latest official report, the electrical service was affected by a capacity deficit throughout the 24 hours on Saturday, and the situation continued into the early morning.

The highest recorded impact was 1,999 MW at 7:10 PM.

At 6:00 AM on Sunday, the availability of the National Electric System (SEN) was 1,250 MW against a demand of 2,220 MW, resulting in an affected capacity of 1,150 MW. By midday, an estimated impact of 1,300 MW is expected.

The state agency attributed the situation to multiple breakdowns and maintenance in key thermal power units.

Among the reported issues are unit five of the Mariel thermoelectric plant, units one and two of Santa Cruz del Norte, unit two of Felton, and units three and six of the Antonio Maceo thermoelectric plant in Santiago de Cuba.

The maintenance is also underway for unit six in Mariel, unit five in Nuevitas, and unit four of the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes thermoelectric plant in Cienfuegos.

This is compounded by limitations in thermal generation that keep 395 MW offline.

For the peak hours, the UNE anticipates the entry of unit one from Energás Jaruco with 30 MW and the completion of unit six from the same facility with 40 MW.

However, even with these additions, the estimated availability would be 1,320 MW compared to a peak demand of 3,050 MW, resulting in a deficit of 1,730 MW and an expected impact of 1,760 MW.

The company also reported that the 52 new photovoltaic solar parks produced 4,161 MWh during the previous day, with a maximum power output of 707 MW at noon, a contribution that remains insufficient in light of the structural deficit of the system.

The situation arises amidst the deep energy crisis the country is experiencing, characterized by the aging of thermal power plants, fuel shortages, and frequent breakdowns.

The prolonged blackouts have caused increasing social unrest and protests in several neighborhoods of Havana and other provinces, the most significant of which occurred on the night of Friday and early Saturday in Morón, Ciego de Ávila, when protesters set fire to the headquarters of the Communist Party.

As part of the actions, it was reported that five people were arrested and a young man was injured by a gunshot from the police forces.