The Cuban Electric Union (UNE) has announced that on Friday, the National Electric System (SEN) continues to experience service disruptions across all provinces due to a generation shortfall. According to UNE's report, service interruptions began at 5:21 AM on Thursday, reaching a maximum shortfall of 1,247 MW at 6:10 PM, coinciding with peak demand. Although service was restored at 11:00 PM, outages resumed at 6:04 AM today, primarily affecting the central-eastern regions due to high energy transfers to that area.
Key Reasons Behind the Outages
The statement outlines significant limitations faced by generation units:
Units Out of Service:
- Units 1 and 3 at CTE Santa Cruz
- Unit 6 at CTE Nuevitas
- Unit 2 at CTE Felton
- Unit 6 at CTE Renté
Units Under Maintenance:
- Unit 2 at CTE Santa Cruz
- Units 3 and 4 at CTE Cienfuegos
- Unit 5 at CTE Renté
Additionally, thermal generation limitations amount to 240 MW. Furthermore, 45 distributed generation plants are offline due to fuel shortages, adding an additional deficit of 321 MW, along with the inactive barge in Santiago de Cuba.
UNE has reported that for the evening peak, an additional 155 MW is expected to be added. This includes the activation of two engines on the Santiago de Cuba barge (25 MW), and the reactivation of Unit 1 (80 MW) and Unit 3 (50 MW) at the CTE Santa Cruz plant, which are currently being restarted.
However, they cautioned that the generation shortfall will continue to significantly impact the electricity service nationwide, with particularly severe effects during peak nighttime demand.
"For peak hours, a supply of 1,995 MW is estimated against a maximum demand of 3,020 MW, resulting in a shortfall of 1,025 MW. If conditions persist as expected, we forecast an impact of 1,095 MW during this period," they noted.
The Electric Company of Havana has confirmed that it will maintain "emergency power service cuts" in Blocks #3 and #4, scheduled between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM. In the afternoon, residents of Block #1 will be affected from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. From 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, Block #2 will experience outages.
Understanding Cuba's Power Crisis
What are the main causes of the power outages in Cuba?
The outages are primarily due to a deficit in power generation, with several key units out of service or under maintenance, as well as fuel shortages affecting distributed generation plants.
Which regions in Cuba are most affected by the power outages?
The central-eastern regions of Cuba are currently experiencing the most significant disruptions due to the high energy transfers necessary to supply these areas.