Cuba's Electric Union (UNE) has forecast significant power outages for this Friday due to a shortfall in power generation, with a projected maximum impact of 1311 MW. According to the organization's report, as of 7:00 am, there were already 395 MW affected, and by midday, that number is expected to rise to 800 MW, particularly impacting the central and eastern regions due to high energy transfers to those areas.
During peak hours, availability is anticipated to be 1909 MW, against a demand of 3150 MW, potentially leading to an impact of up to 1311 MW. On Thursday, service disruptions began at 4:58 am, reaching a peak impact of 1301 MW by 6:10 pm. While service was restored by 12:58 am, outages resumed at 4:58 am today.
Two units at the Felton and Renté thermal power plants are currently out of order. Additionally, four units at the Santa Cruz, Cienfuegos, and Renté plants remain under maintenance. A fuel shortage has also led to the shutdown of 66 distributed generation stations, the Moa station, five engines on the Melones barge, and four on the Regla barge, resulting in a total of 646 MW impacted due to this issue.
Thermal generation limitations account for 323 MW of the deficit.
Understanding Cuba's Power Crisis
What is causing the power outages in Cuba?
The power outages are primarily due to a deficit in power generation, compounded by issues such as equipment failures and maintenance at key thermal power plants, as well as fuel shortages affecting distributed generation stations.
Which areas in Cuba are most affected by the power outages?
The central and eastern regions of Cuba are experiencing the most significant impact due to high energy transfers required to meet their demand.