In a disheartening update for the Cuban populace, Vicente de La O Levy, the Minister of Energy and Mines, has verified the continuing crisis of the national electrical system (SEN). During a session addressing the frequently asked questions from citizens, he revealed that the Cuban regime lacks immediate or mid-term solutions to the ongoing collapse of the SEN.
The Energy Minister stated that although President Miguel Díaz-Canel's administration is making significant financial efforts to import fuel and acquire necessary parts for repairing the country’s outdated thermal power plants, these efforts are only part of a prolonged strategy. As the Electric Union of Cuba (UNE) struggles to enhance the operational capacity of these aging facilities, the nation plans to gradually increase power availability by integrating new solar parks into the SEN.
The addition of megawatts from certain thermal plants undergoing "planned maintenance" is projected, as outlined by the minister in a fragmented podcast shared by the pro-government outlet Cubadebate. Unlike previous appearances, De La O Levy avoided making any immediate promises about resolving the energy crisis and its resultant widespread blackouts. Instead, he opted to address "our people's" inquiries through an audio broadcast, perhaps to mask any visible doubt in his "conviction" that progress is being made and a resolution is forthcoming.
Promises and Reality
The repetitive assurances from the regime, echoed by Díaz-Canel and his associates, only serve to intensify the uncertainty and frustration among Cubans. Consequently, De La O Levy chose to respond to these "frequently asked questions" through a detached podcast format. "Our people ask about short-term actions," he noted, acknowledging the public's desire for specifics on how many megawatts will be added monthly.
Despite the minister’s claims of ongoing efforts "similar to those of 2023" to regain megawatts, the persisting strategy, which De La O Levy himself admitted has been ineffective, raises doubts about future success. According to him, maintenance and repair actions at the Havana, Felton, and Céspedes plants are expected to take a year for the first and four to five months for the latter two.
Long-Term Plans Amid Limited Resources
De La O Levy elaborated on meticulous plans for each power facility, thermal plant, distributed generation center, and floating power station. He emphasized that, "with the extremely limited resources we have, we are devising maintenance, repair, and financial strategies, alongside exploring business opportunities to advance in the restoration of the system."
The minister explained that efforts are focused on achieving a "sustainable" recovery of electricity generation by utilizing national fuel sources, including crude oil and gas, alongside renewable energy initiatives that are underway across most Cuban provinces.
Highlighting a "major investment process" for solar photovoltaic parks, De La O Levy also touched on the complications posed by the U.S. embargo, describing Cuba as a "besieged country." Despite these challenges, significant financial negotiations have been made to procure ships and containers required for the solar project’s logistics.
Efforts to restore power in restricted units through maintenance have been claimed as successful by the minister, even as power outages remain a daily reality in Cuba. Continuing repairs and maintenance of the old thermal plants are on the agenda. "We now have extremely costly resources in the country—turbine rotors, boiler parts, auxiliary equipment. In about four or five months, we will begin to reintegrate power into our system."
Looking ahead, De La O Levy predicted that "next year will see significant power additions," with solar photovoltaic parks expected to relieve the fuel situation, especially in daytime electricity generation. A thirty-minute podcast was used to assert that progress is being made, albeit within the space-time framework of "continuity," essentially confirming that the SEN will remain in its current state of collapse through the end of the year, and likely until late 2025.