The Cuban Electric Union (UNE) has announced that power disruptions are expected on Monday, with a shortage reaching 1,840 MW during peak hours. This comes after a brief reprieve from outages last week. According to UNE's daily update, the peak-hour availability is projected at 1,680 MW against a maximum demand of 3,450 MW, resulting in a 1,770 MW shortfall, which is anticipated to cause a 1,840 MW impact if current conditions persist.
At 6:00 AM, the National Electric System (SEN) had an availability of 1,635 MW and a demand of 2,552 MW, leaving 893 MW unavailable due to capacity limitations. During midday, the expected outage impact is around 980 MW, as detailed in the report.
On Sunday, power services were disrupted throughout the entire day and continued into the early morning hours today. The most significant capacity deficit occurred at 7:00 PM, reaching 1,582 MW, surpassing expectations due to higher than forecasted demand.
The report also notes that Cuba's 32 new photovoltaic solar parks, which are part of the regime's plan to alleviate the crisis, delivered an average of 2,891 MWh, with a peak output of 680 MW during midday.
Currently, several units are out of service due to faults: Unit 2 of Felton Power Plant, Units 1 and 3 of Santa Cruz Power Plant, Unit 8 of Mariel, and Unit 3 of Renté Power Plant. Maintenance is ongoing for Unit 2 of Santa Cruz and Unit 4 of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Power Plant in Cienfuegos. Additionally, thermal generation constraints have left 395 MW unavailable.
A lack of fuel has resulted in the shutdown of 54 distributed generation plants, totaling 485 MW, while another 166 MW are offline due to lubricant shortages, leading to a total of 651 MW affected for these reasons. For the peak hours on Monday, Unit 3 of Santa Cruz Power Plant is expected to contribute 45 MW.
Power Struggles in Havana
In Havana, the electrical service was disrupted at 9:16 AM on Sunday. The peak disruption reached 50 MW at 7:00 PM, with services restored by 7:16 PM. Unscheduled outages occurred with Blocks 6 and 4 from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM, Blocks 1 and 3 from 11:00 PM to 2:00 AM, and Blocks 5, 2, and 6 from 2:00 AM to 8:00 AM.
The prolonged power outages, coupled with food and water shortages, have sparked protests on Thursday night in Baire, part of the Contramaestre municipality in Santiago, highlighting the widespread dissatisfaction among Cubans.
Frequently Asked Questions on Cuba's Power Crisis
What is causing the power outages in Cuba?
The power outages in Cuba are primarily caused by insufficient power generation capacity, fuel shortages, and maintenance issues with key power plants.
How is the Cuban government addressing the power crisis?
The Cuban government is attempting to address the power crisis by introducing new photovoltaic solar parks and performing maintenance on existing power plants, although these measures have yet to fully resolve the issue.
What impact do these power outages have on Cuban citizens?
The power outages severely impact Cuban citizens by disrupting daily life, limiting access to essential services, and exacerbating existing shortages of food and water.