A bleak weekend awaits Cubans as the Electric Union (UNE) has forecasted significant power outages for this Friday, following the shutdown of the Felton Thermoelectric Plant due to a breakdown.
In its daily report, the company announced almost 1,000 MW of power deficit during peak demand hours today. On Thursday, power outages due to generation capacity deficits lasted the entire 24 hours, and service had not been restored by early morning.
The maximum impact occurred at 9:10 PM, coinciding with peak hours, and reached 1,270 MW, surpassing the predicted 1,240 MW. As of 7:00 AM this Friday, the national electricity system (SEN) had an availability of 1,968 MW against a demand of 2,480 MW, resulting in a 542 MW deficit. A maximum impact of 800 MW is expected around noon.
For peak hours, an availability of 2,298 MW is anticipated against a maximum demand of 3,200 MW, projecting a 902 MW deficit, leading to a forecasted outage of 972 MW.
Currently, five units at the Mariel, Santa Cruz, Rente, and Felton thermoelectric plants are experiencing faults. Additionally, maintenance work is ongoing on other units at the Santa Cruz, Nuevitas, and Rente plants. Furthermore, 33 distributed generation plants are offline due to fuel shortages, and there are 277 MW affected by thermal generation limitations.
Understanding the Power Outage Crisis in Cuba
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers to help you better understand the current power outage situation in Cuba.
Why is there a power deficit in Cuba?
The power deficit is due to multiple factors including breakdowns at key thermoelectric plants, ongoing maintenance, fuel shortages, and limitations in thermal generation.
Which plants are currently affected by breakdowns?
The Mariel, Santa Cruz, Rente, and Felton thermoelectric plants are currently experiencing breakdowns.
How long are the power outages expected to last?
Power outages are expected to last throughout the day, with significant impacts during peak demand hours.
What is the expected maximum power deficit?
The maximum power deficit is expected to be around 972 MW during peak hours.