Last Thursday, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz addressed the pressing energy crisis in a television broadcast, discussing the possibility of increasing domestic oil production. This proposal is part of the regime's future strategies to tackle the ongoing energy collapse affecting the nation. Marrero, speaking from Santiago de Cuba alongside officials from the Ministry of Energy and Mines, faced "technical difficulties" during the broadcast, which delayed his critical update on the island's electrical situation.
The chaotic nature of the broadcast and complexity of the issues meant some of Marrero's remarks were overlooked by the Cuban public, including the recurring focus on boosting national oil production. According to Marrero, the government aims to enhance "the generation of thermoelectric plants that use domestic fuel," with a goal to increase efficiency using examples like the Guiteras and Felton power plants, which are crucial to Cuba's electrical system.
Challenges and Ambitions in Oil Production
Despite Cuba's inability to fully self-sustain, the prime minister expressed ambitions to "maximize generation with domestic crude." He highlighted the need for investments to tap into Cuba's potential for higher oil production, not just for local power generation but also for export. The revenue from exports could be used to purchase other fuels and import essential supplies for system recovery.
However, Alfredo López Valdés, the director of the Unión Eléctrica, had earlier noted that Cuban crude has high sulfur content, posing challenges for the thermoelectric plants. "The sulfur directly affects the boilers, leading to reduced performance," López Valdés explained. This necessitates frequent 24-hour shutdowns for maintenance, impacting the power output of several plants.
Escalating Energy Crisis
The energy crisis worsened last Friday when the most crucial thermoelectric plant, the Antonio Guiteras in Matanzas, went offline. This event complicated the situation further, preventing the implementation of measures announced by the prime minister. Initially aimed at preserving power for residential areas by reducing state sector activities, the situation escalated to widespread power outages across both sectors. This has sparked various internal reactions and drawn international scrutiny, increasing pressure on the Cuban government to find immediate solutions.