The energy situation in Cuba continues to deteriorate, with blackouts becoming more frequent. In the early hours of Thursday, the shutdown of Unit 6 at Renté brought the total number of out-of-service thermoelectric units on the island to seven, as reported by a director from the Unión Eléctrica during the daily televised update.
Yesterday, the service was disrupted for a full 24 hours due to a deficit in generation capacity, and the power supply could not be restored overnight. The peak impact occurred at 8:30 p.m., reaching 1,233 MW. As of 7:00 a.m. today, the National Electroenergy System (SEN) had an availability of 1,870 MW against a demand of 2,650 MW, resulting in 831 MW being affected due to the generation shortfall.
Daytime disruptions are expected to affect 980 MW nationwide, a figure that will spike to 1,360 MW during nighttime hours. Currently, seven thermoelectric units are out of service: Unit 8 of CTE Mariel, Unit 1 of CTE Santa Cruz, Unit 4 of CTE Cienfuegos, Units 5 and 6 of CTE Nuevitas, Unit 2 of CTE Felton, and Units 5 and 6 of CTE Renté.
There are 302 MW of limitations in thermal generation. Additionally, 56 distributed generation plants are offline due to fuel shortages, affecting a total of 388 MW. For peak hours, the entry of Unit 8 at CTE Mariel, providing 70 MW, and Unit 4 at Energas Varadero, providing 20 MW, is expected.
With these projections, the peak hour availability is estimated at 1,960 MW, while the maximum demand will be 3,250 MW, leading to a deficit of 1,290 MW. If current conditions persist, the maximum impact during peak hours is predicted to be 1,360 MW.
FAQs on Cuba's Energy Crisis
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers regarding the ongoing energy crisis in Cuba and the issues surrounding power outages.
Why are there frequent blackouts in Cuba?
The frequent blackouts in Cuba are primarily due to a deficit in generation capacity, exacerbated by the breakdown of multiple thermoelectric units and fuel shortages.
Which thermoelectric units are currently out of service?
The units currently out of service include Unit 8 of CTE Mariel, Unit 1 of CTE Santa Cruz, Unit 4 of CTE Cienfuegos, Units 5 and 6 of CTE Nuevitas, Unit 2 of CTE Felton, and Units 5 and 6 of CTE Renté.
What measures are being taken to alleviate the power crisis?
To mitigate the power crisis, efforts are being made to bring additional units online, such as Unit 8 of CTE Mariel and Unit 4 of Energas Varadero, which are expected to provide additional MW during peak hours.