AREQUIPA, Peru – Almost half of Cuba will be in blackout this Saturday, a situation resulting from the collapse of the national electro-energy system (SEN) and in turn aggravated by the passage of two hurricanes through the Island.
In your diary partthe state-owned Unión Eléctrica points out that unit 5 of the Mariel thermoelectric plant (CTE), unit 6 of the Nuevitas CTE, unit 2 of the Felton CTE and units 3 and 6 of the Renté CTE are currently experiencing breakdowns. Unit 2 of the CTE Santa Cruz, units 3 and 4 of the CTE Cienfuegos and unit 5 of the CTE Renté are under maintenance.
Likewise, the limitations on thermal generation this Saturday are 351 megawatts (MW). 53 distributed generation plants with 272 MW, 10 engines in the Patana de Melones (170 MW) and the Patana de Santiago de Cuba (67 MW) are out of service due to fuel deficit, for a total of 509 MW affected by this cause.
In this context, for the night peak hour of this November 16, the regime estimates an availability of 1,660 MW and a maximum demand of 3,100 MW, for a deficit of 1,440 MW, therefore, if the expected conditions continue, a affectation of 1,510 MW during this time.
The collapse in Cuba
Before the total blackout on October 18, most of the island’s provinces only had three hours of electrical service a day. This panorama caused stupor and frustration among Cubans. “Let them close everything, the schools and workplaces or, rather, the entire country,” wrote the user Digna Niebla Noble in the forum of a publication of CubaNet on Facebook. “They should remove it completely [la corriente eléctrica]so we know that we do not have to suffer, and that they turn off our lives once and for all, excuse me, this is not life,” said Judith Ortiz Charon.
In September, the Island recorded one of the highest electricity service impacts in three months (43%), although still below the 45% impact reported in February of this year. In October the situation became even more critical with blackouts that covered half the country and the “total disconnection” of the National Electroenergy System (SEN).
In May of this year, the Cuban ruler, Miguel Diaz-Canelsaid the country would experience “prolonged” power outages until June due to maintenance work on the energy system. This measure, according to authorities, seeks to reduce interruptions during the months of July and August, when consumption is highest.
“We are going to have extended maintenance until the month of June to minimize the annoyance of blackouts in the summer, especially in the months of July and August,” Díaz-Canel said in the sixth episode of his podcast. From the Presidency. The governor made it clear that the total absence of blackouts cannot be guaranteed: “We cannot commit to there being no blackouts. Due to the current conditions of the system, that commitment is not possible now,” he declared.
The blackouts further complicate the country’s already tense energy situation and not only deteriorate the economic performance of Cuba, which has been mired in a serious crisis for years, but have also been the trigger for anti-government protests. The most notable ones occurred on July 11, 2021the largest in decades, and most recently on March 17 in Santiago de Cuba and other locations.
