MIAMI, United States. – The Electrical Union (UNE) of Cuba advertisement that the blackouts will simultaneously cover 49% of the national territory during peak hours (evening-night) this Tuesday. The figure is only a little lower than this Monday, when the impact reached 52% of the Island, the highest peak reported so far in 2025.
The UNE indicated that the interruptions of electrical service are due to breakdowns in the units of the operational terrestrial thermoelectric plants, as well as the departure of some units for maintenance.
The state company specified that one of the units of the Mariel Thermoelectric Power Plant (CTE), unit 6 of the CTE Nuevitas, unit 3 of the CTE Renté and unit 2 of the CTE Felton are out of service due to breakdowns. . Likewise, several units of the CTE Santa Cruz, Guiteras, Cienfuegos and Renté are out of service for maintenance.
Specifically, for this Tuesday the state company calculates a maximum electricity generation capacity of 1,530 MW and a demand of 2,285 MW, for a deficit of 970 MW.
However, the impact (what will actually be disconnected) will reach 1,600 MW during peak hours this Tuesday, the UNE specified.
Before the total blackout on October 18, most of the island’s provinces only had three hours of electrical service a day, a situation to which most of the Cuban territories have returned, with the exception of Havana, the provincial capitals and some localities linked to essential services.
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,” said Díaz-Canel 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.
