This Friday, Cubans are facing another round of power outages as the country grapples with a generation capacity deficit exceeding 1,500 MW. This situation has worsened due to issues at several thermoelectric plants, including the Felton plant in Holguín, which went offline on Thursday and is expected to be out of service for ten days.
The previous day saw disruptions in power service starting at 5:32 AM and continuing until 2:28 AM today. The peak outage reached 1,442 MW—slightly below the predicted 1,460 MW—at 6:50 PM, coinciding with the time of highest demand, particularly impacting the central and eastern regions of the island.
According to the daily report from the Electric Union, new disruptions are being reported this Friday due to high power transfers starting at 4:16 AM. As of 7:00 AM, 526 MW were affected, again with the central and eastern areas experiencing the most significant issues due to high transfer demands. By noon, the affected capacity is expected to rise to 980 MW.
During peak hours, it is anticipated that five engines will be added at the Regla barge, providing an additional 49 MW. With this forecast, the available generation capacity is expected to reach 1,740 MW against a maximum demand of 3,220 MW, resulting in a deficit of 1,480 MW. If these conditions persist, a further impact of 1,550 MW is anticipated during these peak hours.
Key Insights into Cuba's Power Crisis
What is causing the power outages in Cuba?
The power outages in Cuba are primarily due to a generation capacity deficit exceeding 1,500 MW, compounded by issues at thermoelectric plants like the Felton in Holguín.
How long will the Felton plant in Holguín be offline?
The Felton plant in Holguín is expected to be offline for a period of ten days due to technical issues.
When do power outages typically peak in Cuba?
Power outages in Cuba typically peak during the evening hours, around 6:50 PM, which coincides with the time of highest electricity demand.