A new week of agony and sweltering heat begins for Cubans, with extended power outages on Monday due to a nearly 1,000 MW deficit, even worse than the disruptions over the weekend.
According to the report from the Unión Eléctrica (UNE), on Sunday, the service was affected by a generation capacity shortfall for the entire 24 hours, which continued into the early hours of Monday. The maximum impact was 715 MW at 8:50 PM.
As of 7:00 AM, the availability of the national electro-energy system (SEN) was 2,300 MW, with a demand of 2,450 MW, resulting in a deficit of 106 MW. By midday, the shortfall is expected to increase to 450 MW.
During peak hours, a deficit of 900 MW is anticipated, with an impact of 970 MW at this time. Three units from different thermoelectric plants are currently out of service due to breakdowns.
Additionally, 51 distributed generation plants (341 MW affected) are offline due to fuel shortages, and there are limitations in thermal generation amounting to 527 MW.
Understanding Cuba's Power Outage Crisis
Here are some frequently asked questions to help clarify the situation regarding the power outages in Cuba.
Why is Cuba experiencing such severe power outages?
Cuba is facing severe power outages due to a combination of factors, including breakdowns in thermoelectric plants, fuel shortages, and limitations in thermal generation.
How long are these power outages expected to last?
The duration of the power outages is uncertain as they depend on the resolution of the underlying issues, such as repairing broken units and securing sufficient fuel supplies.
What measures are being taken to address the power shortage?
Efforts are being made to repair the broken thermoelectric plants and to secure additional fuel supplies to bring the offline distributed generation plants back into service.
How are these power outages affecting daily life in Cuba?
The power outages are causing significant disruption to daily life, leading to discomfort due to lack of air conditioning, disruption of work and school activities, and challenges in food preservation.