The shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant due to boiler issues has significantly increased blackouts in Cuban households. In Matanzas Province, where the power station is located, the outage this past Friday night was due to a generation deficit of 125 MW.
Official journalist José Miguel Solís expressed on Facebook that he does not recall such high numbers in the province, underscoring the severity of the situation. A statement from the Unión Eléctrica de Cuba indicated that "yesterday, service was disrupted due to a generation capacity deficit in the SEN for 24 hours, with restoration achieved at 3:41 AM today."
The most significant impact occurred around 8:30 PM, coinciding with peak hours, with approximately 1,138 MW—72 MW more than planned due to higher demand. The report added that at 7:00 AM, the SEN's availability was 2,160 MW, while demand was around 2,250 MW, resulting in a 135 MW shortfall. By midday, a maximum impact of 450 MW was forecasted.
Conditions do not appear favorable for the afternoon-evening period, which is the peak electricity usage time when families cook and spend most of their time at home. During this period, availability is estimated at 2,310 MW with a maximum demand of 3,100 MW, leading to a 790 MW deficit. If these conditions persist as predicted by UNE, an 860 MW shortfall is anticipated for this time.
Currently, the Guiteras plant, Unit 6 of the Renté Thermoelectric Plant, Unit 2 of the Santa Cruz Thermoelectric Plant (in the startup process), and Unit 2 of the Felton Thermoelectric Plant are offline. Additionally, Unit 1 of the Santa Cruz Plant is undergoing maintenance.
These conditions impose a thermal generation limitation of 364 MW. There are 45 distributed generation plants and the patana in Santiago de Cuba out of service due to fuel shortages, representing a total affected capacity of 279 MW. However, the statement clarifies that for peak hours, the entry of distributed generation engines currently offline due to fuel issues is expected to add 100 MW, recovery of 50 MW in the Santiago patana, and the entry of Unit 2 of the Santa Cruz Plant with 65 MW.
Understanding the Blackout Crisis in Cuba
To provide more clarity on the current blackout crisis in Cuba, here are some frequently asked questions and their answers.
What caused the increase in blackouts in Cuba?
The increase in blackouts is primarily due to a malfunction at the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant, causing a significant generation deficit.
How much is the current power generation deficit?
As of the latest reports, the power generation deficit can reach up to 860 MW during peak hours.
Which power plants are currently out of service?
The Antonio Guiteras plant, Unit 6 of the Renté Plant, Unit 2 of the Santa Cruz Plant, and Unit 2 of the Felton Plant are currently out of service.