Havana/The “unforeseen” departure of three service units from the Energas plant in Boca de Jaruco, Mayabeque, caused this Tuesday a much larger deficit than initially anticipated by the Cuban Electrical Union (UNE). If initially an impact of 1,670 megawatts was forecast in the evening peak hours – for a demand of 3,350 MW, an availability of 1,750 MW and a deficit of 1,600 MW –, the missing energy ended up being close to 2,000 MW (1,910, specifically).
“The national electricity system (SEN) faces a critical scenario after the unforeseen departure of key generating units, which has deepened the high deficit in electricity generation reported by the country,” the UNE reported early last night. According to the state company’s brief statement, blocks 3, 4 and 6 of Energas Jaruco interrupted service “due to difficulties in the water supply pump.”
Already on Monday, according to the initial report from the UNE yesterday, three turbines and the combined cycle of the Mayabeque plant, managed by Energas together with the Canadian mining giant Sherritt and normally contributes between 100 and 120 MW to the SEN. This meant that the impact (1,795 MW during peak demand hours) was also more than expected.
As of last night, there was a 57% shortage compared to demand.
When Cubans read “complex” in an official note on energy, they already know what it means: blackouts for longer hours. As of last night, there was a 57% shortage compared to demand.
The 446 MW that the UNE boasts of providing through the photovoltaic solar parks are, of course, only during daylight hours, and the panorama of breakdowns in the thermoelectric plants (CTE) continues to be disastrous. A total of seven blocks, of the 16 existing in the country, are out of service due to breakdowns or maintenance: two in Felton, in Holguín; one from Mariel, in Artemisa; another from the CTE Diez de Octubre, in Nuevitas (Camagüey); one in Renté, Santiago de Cuba; another in Santa Cruz, Mayabeque, and a last one in the CTE Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, in Cienfuegos.
There was no news, in the evening report of the UNE, of the entry into the SEN of turbine 5 of Energas Jaruco with 30 MW, as had been announced.
Last Tuesday, the same Mayabeque plant suffered an interruption due to the entry of sargassum into one of its channels.
