Cuba's Electric Union (UNE) has announced a series of power outages scheduled for Tuesday, citing a significant shortfall in generating capacity exceeding 1,100 MW. This shortage is a result of extensive damage from Hurricane Rafael and earthquakes affecting both the western and eastern regions, combined with ongoing failures and maintenance work at five major thermoelectric plants.
Six days have passed since the hurricane, yet 158 MW remain compromised due to damage inflicted on the electrical networks (with Artemisa losing 125 MW, Havana 10 MW, and Mayabeque 14 MW). According to the daily report, as of 7:00 am on Wednesday, a deficit of 381 MW was reported. This figure is expected to escalate to 750 MW by noon, with peak hour forecasts predicting a shortfall reaching 1,168 MW.
Continued Restoration Efforts in Western Power Grid
Efforts to restore power in the western section of the National Electroenergetic System (SEN) persisted on Tuesday. By 9:44 pm, the electrical grid had been reconnected, stretching from Pinar del Río to Guantánamo. Despite these efforts, service disruptions continued throughout the day, peaking at 1,047 MW around 6:40 pm, coinciding with the highest demand, and primarily impacting provinces from Matanzas to Guantánamo. These disruptions extended into the early morning hours.
Operational Challenges and Maintenance Work
Five units across the Mariel, Cienfuegos, Felton, and Renté thermoelectric plants are currently experiencing technical issues. In addition, maintenance work is being carried out on three blocks at the CTE Renté, Santa Cruz, and Cienfuegos facilities. Meanwhile, a unit at the Mariel plant remains offline due to insufficient water levels.
The generation capacity has been further strained by the shutdown of 37 distributed generation centers due to fuel shortages, totaling 130 MW, along with the 67 MW barge in Santiago de Cuba, culminating in a combined deficit of 197 MW. Additionally, thermal generation limitations are estimated at 368 MW.