The Electric Union (UNE) reported this Thursday that the National Electric System (SEN) continues to experience a complex energy situation, with sustained disruptions 24 hours a day.
According to official part Issued by the state-owned company, the electrical service remained interrupted throughout yesterday and early this morning, reaching a maximum impact of 1 megawatts (MW) at 684:10 pm, outside of the usual peak demand hours.
The critical situation of the system has resulted in prolonged power outages across the country, including continuous periods of up to 19 hours without service in some areas, as reported by users on social media. As of 7:00 a.m. this Thursday, SEN availability was 1 MW compared to a demand of 880 MW, resulting in a capacity deficit of 2 MW.
Heading into the evening peak, an even more challenging scenario is expected: with an estimated demand of 3 MW and availability remaining at 500 MW, a deficit of 1 MW and a disruption of up to 880 MW are projected during that period.
Why the energy situation in Cuba is not improving
The generation problems are partly explained by the decommissioning of several major units. Currently, Unit 2 of the Felton CTE is out of service, and four others are undergoing maintenance: Unit 2 in Santa Cruz, Unit 4 in Cienfuegos, Unit 6 in Diez de Octubre, and Unit 5 in Renté. Thermal generation limitations amount to 434 MW.
In addition, 80 distributed generation plants are out of service due to fuel shortages, representing 578 MW of unavailable power. Added to this is 109 MW of power affected by engine oil shortages, bringing the total impact in this segment to 687 MW.
While the new solar photovoltaic parks—16 in total—generated 1 megawatt-hours (MWh) on Wednesday with a peak power of 790 MW, this output is not enough to cushion the structural deficit, given the lack of energy storage capacity.
On social media, citizens like B. and JAR have expressed their dissatisfaction with the duration and intensity of the blackouts. “Only three blocks have been without power for 19 consecutive hours,” one wrote. Another questioned the lack of resources to sustain power generation: “Is it because of the embargo that we can't buy diesel, oil, or batteries?”
For now, the UNE has not reported any possible short-term improvements, so the effects are expected to continue for the rest of the day and possibly extend into the next few days.
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8 comments
According to the schedule for today, Sunday, June 22, block 5 should not have a blackout. Given the current situation, are there any changes? We need to know if we'll have a blackout at any time so we can plan ahead. One of the main problems we face is the lack of information.
What's happening with Rent in Santiago de Cuba? They take turns on lines 3, 5, and 6 for breakdowns or maintenance. There's no respect.
I don't understand why everyone who comes from Havana says that they practically never turn off the power there, but in Guia it's 19 or 20 hours without power, and even recently in 31 hours they only put it on for 2 hours, that was from 12 midnight on the 18th until 7 am on the 19th.
I just have a question, because here in Sancti Spiritus they turn the power on for 2 or 3 hours and then turn it off for up to 12 consecutive hours, while in other provinces where we have families and friends it isn't like that, according to them they turn it on and off for 3 x 4 hours or so, it could be because, as I understand, this province has been at the national forefront of energy saving for 2 years. Here, 4 or 5 circuits in the city are paying for the blackouts while others benefit from weeks without blackouts. I'm not saying this in an offensive way and I know the situation in the country very well, but it seems to me that the worst of the bad should be more even and respectful for everyone and thus balance the problem and the good for everyone a bit. Greetings
This country should be sold or rented to the first country that resolves this sad situation that the Cuban people are going through.
I think the same, it seems like a joke but it's not...you have to experience it!!!
I wonder, isn't it true that the thermoelectric plant wasn't serviced at a certain time? Is it because now they all come out for maintenance at the same time? Because I knew the mechanical engineer Miguel Bisquet, who was always going from province to province, repairing and performing maintenance, and there weren't so many incidents? Is it because with the death of that colleague, the planned maintenance also died?
In BARACOA we are only living with ALUMBRÓN that has a duration of 1 hour to 2 hours, we are suffering the inhabitants of circuit: 2 and circuit: 8 that only receive the service during the day and only for 1 to 2 hours, this is criminal for these two circuits, while the other circuits are benefited, I think that the Cuban State should review this distribution that Guantanamo is applying to these mentioned circuits which are progressively mistreating, I repeat while other circuits benefit the same day as night, that is to say the service is affected more than 22 hours a day.