The Unión Eléctrica (UNE) of Cuba acknowledged in its report this Friday that, as has become customary, the electricity service was disrupted for 24 hours yesterday, with outages reaching 1,022 MW at 9 PM. The situation for May 24 doesn't see much improvement. Today's forecast indicates that disruptions will be more severe during the day than at night: 900 MW affected during the day and 795 MW at night.
As of 7:00 AM, the availability of the National Electroenergetic System (SEN) was 2,120 MW, while the demand was 2,410 MW, with 358 MW affected due to a generation capacity deficit. Currently, four thermal power units are out of service: unit 2 of the Felton Thermal Power Plant (CTE Felton), unit 5 of CTE Nuevitas, and unit 5 of CTE Renté.
Maintenance is underway at the Energas Varadero plant, units 1 and 3 of CTE Santa Cruz, and unit 1 of CTE Felton. Thermal generation limitations amount to 346 MW. Additionally, 48 distributed generation plants are out of service due to fuel shortages, affecting 366 MW.
For peak hours, the entry of engines from Distributed Generation that are currently out due to fuel issues is estimated to add 150 MW, along with the return of unit 5 of CTE Renté with 65 MW and unit 5 of CTE Nuevitas with 70 MW. With this forecast, the peak hour availability is estimated to be 2,405 MW, with a maximum demand of 3,130 MW, resulting in a deficit of 725 MW. If the conditions remain as predicted, an impact of 795 MW is expected during this period.
Understanding the Cuban Power Crisis
Given the ongoing power issues in Cuba, here are some frequently asked questions and their answers to help understand the situation better.
Why is Cuba experiencing such severe power outages?
Cuba is experiencing severe power outages due to a combination of aging infrastructure, lack of maintenance, fuel shortages, and a deficit in generation capacity.
Which power plants are currently out of service?
Currently, unit 2 of CTE Felton, unit 5 of CTE Nuevitas, and unit 5 of CTE Renté are out of service.
How is the Cuban government addressing the power crisis?
The government is attempting to address the crisis by performing maintenance on existing plants and trying to bring units back online, but the efforts have been insufficient to meet demand.