The situation with power outages in Cuba continues to deteriorate. For this Thursday, the Unión Eléctrica (UNE) of Cuba anticipates a record-breaking disruption, with peak-hour outages expected to reach 1,305 MW, a new high for this summer.
Yesterday, the service was affected by a generation capacity deficit for 24 hours. The highest volume of outages nationwide was recorded this Wednesday at 8:50 p.m., reaching 1,186 MW—36 MW more than initially estimated. As of 7:00 a.m. today, the National Electric System (SEN) had a capacity of 2,060 MW, while the demand was 2,650 MW, resulting in a significant impact of 730 MW at that hour.
By midday, outages are expected to be around 950 MW due to the generation capacity deficit. The UNE's written report indicates that two additional thermoelectric units are out of service due to malfunctions today, bringing the total to six. The affected units include unit 5 of the Mariel Thermoelectric Plant (CTE Mariel), units 1 and 3 of the Santa Cruz Thermoelectric Plant (CTE Santa Cruz), unit 4 of the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Thermoelectric Plant (CTE Céspedes), unit 6 of the Nuevitas Thermoelectric Plant (CTE Nuevitas), and units 1 and 2 of the Felton Thermoelectric Plant (CTE Felton).
The limitations in thermal generation amount to 357 MW, slightly lower than the previous day. Additionally, 36 distributed generation plants are out of service due to fuel issues, affecting another 183 MW, which is three more plants than yesterday.
For peak hours, the UNE expects the entry of unit 5 of Energás Jaruco with 30 MW and the completion of the Combined Cycle of Energás Jaruco with 25 MW. Given this forecast, the estimated availability will be 2,115 MW against a maximum demand of 3,350 MW, leading to a deficit of 1,235 MW. Under these conditions, the predicted impact of 1,305 MW during peak hours marks a dramatic figure of power outages in the midst of summer.
Official Response and Lack of Clarity
In his televised report this Thursday, Lázaro Guerra Hernández, the Director of Electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, sidestepped the chaos and failed to explain why two units are reported malfunctioning today that were not mentioned yesterday.
Guerra Hernández did not clarify the cause of the outage at unit 5 of CTE Mariel or the additional unit at Santa Cruz, both of which were not reported as malfunctioning on Wednesday. In a lackluster report filled with figures and excuses, the official offered no forecasts regarding the reintegration of the malfunctioning units. He merely stated that "improvements should begin to be noticed starting tomorrow as generating units are expected to be reintegrated throughout tomorrow and the remainder of the week."
As he mentioned the previous day, Guerra Hernández insisted that work continues non-stop to resolve the seemingly endless problems.
Understanding Cuba's Power Outage Crisis
To provide more context on the ongoing power outage crisis in Cuba, here are some frequently asked questions and their answers.
What is causing the power outages in Cuba?
The power outages are primarily due to a deficit in generation capacity, malfunctions in thermoelectric units, and fuel shortages affecting distributed generation plants.
Which power plants are currently affected by outages?
Several thermoelectric plants are affected, including CTE Mariel, CTE Santa Cruz, CTE Céspedes, CTE Nuevitas, and CTE Felton.
What measures are being taken to resolve the power outages?
The Ministry of Energy and Mines claims to be working continuously to repair and reintegrate malfunctioning units, with some improvements expected in the coming days.
How severe are the current power outages compared to previous years?
The current power outages have reached record-breaking levels for this summer, significantly impacting daily life and showing no immediate signs of resolution.