Cuba's National Electric Union (UNE) has reported ongoing power generation issues, estimating a shortfall of 1,480 MW for Sunday. This forecast might underestimate the actual deficit, as demonstrated on Saturday when the predicted maximum shortfall of 1,405 MW surged to 1,735 MW by 6:40 pm, coinciding with peak demand hours.
According to the UNE's report, power interruptions began at 4:14 am yesterday and were temporarily resolved by 4:08 am today, only to resume an hour later. By 7:00 am, the shortfall had reached 600 MW, escalating to 900 MW by midday.
The island's electricity production is further hampered by malfunctioning units at the Santa Cruz, Renté, and Felton thermoelectric plants. Additionally, maintenance work is ongoing for several units at the Santa Cruz, Cienfuegos, and Renté power stations, resulting in thermal restrictions that have led to 290 MW being offline.
Moreover, fuel shortages have rendered 44 distributed generation plants and the Mariel fuel power plant non-operational, accounting for an additional 382 MW loss. As the evening peak approaches, available capacity is projected at 1,840 MW against a demand of 3,250 MW, predicting a shortfall of 1,410 MW and an estimated disruption of 1,480 MW.
Understanding Cuba's Energy Crisis
What is causing the power outages in Cuba?
The power outages are primarily due to a combination of generation shortfalls, malfunctioning units at key thermoelectric plants, and fuel shortages affecting distributed generation facilities.
How are maintenance and fuel shortages impacting Cuba's power supply?
Maintenance on several power plant units and fuel shortages have led to significant capacity reductions, with numerous plants offline, exacerbating the energy deficit.