The energy crisis in Cuba continues to worsen, with blackouts lasting longer each day across all provinces. On Tuesday, the power service was disrupted for a full 24 hours due to a generation capacity deficit, and by early morning, it had yet to be restored.
The peak outage reached 1347 MW at 10:00 pm, exceeding the planned 1030 MW. Social media was flooded with complaints from users experiencing blackouts lasting up to 16 hours in various locations.
According to a report from the Unión Eléctrica (UNE), the surge was caused by a diesel fuel shortage at distributed generation plants and unexpected shutdowns of units 6 and 1 at the Nuevitas and Santa Cruz thermoelectric plants, respectively.
As of Wednesday at 7:00 am, the National Electric System (SEN) availability was 1830 MW, while demand was 2790 MW, resulting in 959 MW being affected. By noon, a higher impact of 1150 MW was anticipated.
During peak hours, the deficit is expected to be 1320 MW, affecting 1390 MW. Six units at the Mariel, Santa Cruz, Nuevitas, Felton, and Rente thermoelectric plants are currently out of service.
Additionally, 59 distributed generation plants are offline due to a lack of fuel, affecting 582 MW, and thermal generation limitations account for 424 MW.
Understanding Cuba's Energy Crisis
The escalating energy crisis in Cuba has left many residents in prolonged blackouts. Here are some critical questions and answers to understand the situation better.
What is causing the prolonged blackouts in Cuba?
The prolonged blackouts are primarily due to a deficit in generation capacity, compounded by a diesel fuel shortage and unexpected shutdowns of key thermoelectric plant units.
How long are the blackouts expected to last?
Currently, blackouts can last up to 16 hours in some areas, with no immediate resolution in sight due to ongoing fuel shortages and generation limitations.
Which thermoelectric plants are affected?
The Mariel, Santa Cruz, Nuevitas, Felton, and Rente thermoelectric plants are currently experiencing issues, with six units out of service.