LIMA, Peru – “Unit 3 of the CTE (Thermoelectric Plant) Antonio Maceo is offline due to a leak in the ECO,” the Cuban Electrical Union reported this Saturday night.
The situation this Sunday continues to be serious on the Island, with a total of eight thermoelectric units out of service and the lack of fuel, the blackouts will once again affect more than half of the country.
The day before, the 24-hour service was affected and the maximum impact due to a deficit in generation capacity was 1,675 megawatts (MW) at 7:10 p.m.
According to the part offered by UNE. The National Electric System (SEN) faces a critical generation deficit this February 22 that will cause prolonged and simultaneous outages in more than 53% of Cuba.
According to official information, for the hours of greatest demand—afternoon and night—an availability of only 1,472 MW is expected, compared to an estimated demand of 3,100 MW, which implies a deficit of 1,628 MW. Consequently, the UNE estimates an impact of up to 1,658 MW.
Unit 2 of the Santa Cruz CTE, unit 2 of the Felton CTE and units 3, 5 and 6 of the Renté CTE are in breakdown. On the other hand, unit 6 of the CTE Mariel, unit 4 of the CTE Cienfuegos and unit 5 of the CTE Nuevitas are stopped for maintenance.
Added to this is the paralysis of dozens of distributed generation plants due to lack of fuelas well as the unavailability of electric motors due to a lack of diesel and lubricants. Limitations in thermal generation put an end to 373 MW out of service this Sunday.
“The bad life we have is depressing, we have been in this torture for almost four years. You have just understood that our resistance is over. The harsh and sad reality we live daily,” Internet user Gema González commented on the UNE publication.
“But there is a contradiction with the deficit and the reality of the duration of the blackouts. Why, if it is shorter, do we continue to be turned off for long hours? Can any of you UNE explain this inconsistency?” denounced the user identified as Isabel Monter.
“There is less electricity deficit than on other occasions and the blackouts are longer. Nobody explains anything for that. 18 hours are already common in Candelaria and we don’t know why,” stressed Wilfredo Céspedes, another user.
