The National Electric System (SEN) finds itself in a critical situation this Wednesday: during peak consumption hours, Cuba will have a availability of only 990 MW against a projected demand of 3,250 MW, while the shortfall due to generation deficits could reach 2,290 MW.
According to the report published this Wednesday by the Unión Eléctrica (UNE), power outages showed no respite during the previous day.
The service was affected by capacity shortages during the 24 hours on Tuesday and the disruptions continued throughout the early hours of this Wednesday.
The maximum impact reached 2,292 MW at 9:20 PM, nearly the same level that the company forecasts again for the nighttime peak this Wednesday.
The deterioration of thermal generation continues to be one of the main issues. The UNE reported failures in units 5 and 6 of the Máximo Gómez thermoelectric plant in Mariel; unit 2 of the Ernesto Guevara plant in Santa Cruz; unit 4 of the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes plant in Cienfuegos; unit 2 of Felton; and unit 6 of Renté.
The list is joined by the units that are undergoing maintenance: unit 3 in Santa Cruz, units 5 and 6 in Renté, and unit 5 of the Diez de Octubre thermoelectric plant in Nuevitas.
The lack of fuel also keeps a significant portion of the generation offline.
A total of 106 distributed generation plants are shut down due to the unavailability of fuel. The Regla and Melones barges are also unavailable, as well as the fuel plants in Mariel and Moa.
Photovoltaic solar parks reached a maximum power of 609 MW on Tuesday, a contribution that did not prevent another full day of blackouts across the country.
The crisis strikes at the very start of the 2026-2027 school year. Students returned to the classrooms this Tuesday amidst widespread blackouts, when the UNE forecasted an impact of up to 2,310 MW and a availability of only 1,020 MW for a projected demand of 3,300 MW.
The situation confirms the complicated landscape with which Cuba has entered September.
In August, UNE warned that between September and December, several thermal power units could be undergoing maintenance or repair, due to pending work and accumulated technical issues.
The discomfort over prolonged power outages continues among the population and public figures. This Tuesday, the comedian Ulises Toirac exploded after enduring extensive blackouts and described the situation as a "crime.": "It is not only incompetence and bad faith. It is a crime."
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