The ongoing blackouts in Cuba show no signs of abating, even with the anticipated addition of two repaired thermoelectric units this Friday. The forecast for power outages remains above 600 MW, nearly identical to the previous day. On Thursday, the service was disrupted for 24 hours due to a generation capacity deficit. Although power was restored at 2:34 a.m., complications persist for today.
The peak disruption on Thursday was recorded at 7:40 p.m., with an interruption of 639 MW, although this did not coincide with the peak consumption hour. As of 7:00 a.m. today, the availability of the National Electric System (SEN) was 2,500 MW, while demand reached 2,470 MW, allowing the entire system to function.
However, it is estimated that there could be a maximum impact of 350 MW around noon. Several units are currently out of service due to malfunctions, including unit 1 of the Santa Cruz Thermoelectric Plant (CTE), unit 2 of the Felton CTE, and unit 5 of the Nuevitas CTE. In addition to these malfunctioning thermoelectric units, limitations in thermal generation amount to 474 MW.
Moreover, 56 distributed generation plants are out of service due to a lack of fuel, adding another 408 MW to the affected capacity. To mitigate the situation during today's peak hour, unit 1 of the Santa Cruz CTE and unit 5 of the Nuevitas CTE, each with a capacity of 70 MW, are expected to come online.
Nonetheless, it is estimated that by that time, availability will be 2,640 MW, while maximum demand will reach 3,180 MW, resulting in a deficit of 540 MW. Therefore, even the addition of these two units will not spare Cubans from blackouts this Friday.
If the predicted conditions hold, a peak hour impact of 610 MW is forecasted. Lázaro Guerra Hernández, General Director of Electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, delivered his usual rhetoric on Friday, addressing the daily struggles of millions of Cubans on the island, particularly those residing in the interior regions.
In the comments section of the Electric Union's written report, dozens of Cubans expressed their frustration with a situation showing no signs of improvement. "They might as well declare an annual deficit of 1000 MW so we don't waste more time listening to their disasters and watching our hopes fade away every morning"; "Good thing they prepared for this summer, otherwise..."; "It's evident the issues are due to a lack of fuel"; "Well, it's decreasing by 0.5 daily, but it's something," were some of the remarks shared.
Understanding Cuba's Power Outage Crisis
The persistent power outages in Cuba have raised several questions among the affected population. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions and their answers.
Why are power outages so frequent in Cuba?
Frequent power outages in Cuba are mainly due to a deficit in generation capacity, malfunctioning thermoelectric units, and a lack of fuel for distributed generation plants.
What measures are being taken to address the power outages?
The Cuban government is attempting to bring malfunctioning thermoelectric units back online and add new units to the grid. However, these measures have so far proven insufficient to meet the high demand.
How does the lack of fuel impact power generation in Cuba?
The shortage of fuel has led to the shutdown of multiple distributed generation plants, which exacerbates the power generation deficit and leads to more frequent and prolonged outages.