Cuba continues to grapple with prolonged power outages, and the situation is unlikely to improve in the near future, even after the Guiteras thermoelectric plant managed to synchronize with the grid this morning. On Tuesday, the power supply was disrupted for the entire day, extending into the early hours. The peak impact reached 1,708 MW at 6:20 PM, primarily due to the delayed activation of Unit 5 at the Mariel Thermoelectric Plant before the peak hour.
According to the report from the Electrical Union, by 7:00 AM on Wednesday, there was a generation shortfall of 783 MW. Expectations are that by noon, this deficit will rise to 1,200 MW, and during peak hours, it is estimated to reach 1,530 MW, with potential disruptions up to 1,600 MW.
The predicament has been worsened by issues at several thermoelectric plants. Four units at the Mariel, Nuevitas, Renté, and Felton plants are currently out of service due to malfunctions. Additionally, four more blocks at the Santa Cruz, Guiteras, Cienfuegos, and Renté plants are undergoing maintenance.
There are also thermal limitations amounting to 255 MW, and 49 distributed generation plants are offline due to fuel shortages, affecting 285 MW of power.
Understanding Cuba's Energy Crisis
What is causing the power outages in Cuba?
The power outages in Cuba are primarily caused by a significant energy deficit due to malfunctions at several thermoelectric plants and fuel shortages affecting distributed generation plants.
How severe is the energy deficit in Cuba?
As of Wednesday, the energy deficit in Cuba could reach up to 1,530 MW during peak hours, with potential disruptions affecting up to 1,600 MW.