Madrid/A New fault at the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Central He puts in check the forecast that had made minutes before the electricity union (UNE), which had planned for this Tuesday one of the largest energy deficit figures since he has been recorded. The part of the state company indicated that affectation In the peak time it would amount to the 1,992 megawatts (MW), since the maximum demand will be around 3,650 MW and will barely be generated 1728 MW. However, the failure in a salider in the boiler of the largest floor of the island, located in Matanzas, has been reported later, so the calculations could be raised.
The advanced amount – without the departure of the Guiteras, which will be at least 96 hours out of service – was already approaching the record recorded on July 15, with 2,020 MW affected and long blackouts throughout the country. The next day, united it forecast A 2,065 MW affectation And a “breakdown” without determining left all Havana without light.
“What do we expect?” A user reacted to the announcement in UNE networks. “Death slowly, because this is not life even for those who, like me, are old,” was the terrible response he received.
“What do we expect?” A user reacted to the announcement in UNE networks. “Death slowly, because this is not life even for those who, like me, are old”
Although such high deficit data no longer constitutes any rarity on the island, this peak is directly related to the “unforeseen exit” of two thermal units, Varadero Energas and block 3 of the Santa Cruz del Norte thermoelectric plant. The fault in the combined cycle system occurred on Monday, according to the Cuban authorities.
Julio Betancourt, director of the plant that the Cuban state operates next to the Canadian Sherritt International, explained that the ruling occurred in the generator excitatrix, a device that supplies excitation current to the stistyus coils. Without it, it is impossible to generate electricity. The capacity of booster energy is calculated in 140 MW, however, it currently generates around 100, specifically 90 MW this Monday, at the time the incident occurred.
To this fault – and that of Santa Cruz del Norte – we must add those of Unit 6 of Renté, in Santiago de Cuba, and the 2 of Felton, in Holguín. These last two are, in addition, the largest in the country. In addition, the Mayabeque thermoelectric plant has its other unit, the 2, in maintenance, as well as the 5 of Renté and the 4 of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, in Cienfuegos. These “incidents”, as the UNE calls it, leave 409 MW of thermal energy out of service.
But the most serious problem is concentrated once again on the lack of fuel. To this is attributed the 825 MW deficit, the result of adding the 94 central generators out of service (797 MW) and the three engines of the rule patanas, in Havana, (28 MW). Faced with this, solar parks, which produce 2,513 MWh: a total of 503 MW with which it can only be counted during the maximum delivery time, which is the full sun.
The relief, very slight, which had been noticed in recent days has vanished in this end of the month, just after the arrival of the Ocean Mariner – Last Friday – To the port of Havana. The tanker docked with 13,000 tons (around 91,000 barrels) of fuel from the Madero City Refinery, in Tampico, that Pemex returns to deliver without even knowing the method of payment or compensation between both Cuba and Mexico.
In disturbing statements, two weeks ago in the National Assembly, the Minister of Economy and Planning, Joaquín Alonso Vázquez, said that the electricity generation during the first semester of 2025 was “lower than what has been planned already achieved at the same stage of 2024”. In addition, the shipments of “physical fuel were lower than the planned and lower than those of the same period of 2024,” he added, referring without specifying it both to the donation of Venezuelan and Mexican oil and the purchase in the international market.
The same way, In the same parliamentthe Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, rer known that the oil deficit “continues to be the main cause of the blackouts, hence it has not been possible to reach the projected decrease for the summer.”
The panorama had been advanced by the O Levy and Miguel Díaz-Canel, last May in the president’s podcast, giving explanations to the population about the battered state of the national electrical system. There, both specified that they had problems with the supply of oil from the partner countries.
The minister said that Caracas himself had difficulties due to US sanctions, but the data indicates that PDVSA was producing and exporting huge amounts of oil to other countries
The minister said that Caracas himself had difficulties due to US sanctions, but the data indicates that PDVSA was producing and exporting huge amounts of oil to other countries, from the US itself before the licenses to Chevron to China were extinguished, which has become its largest buyer. At the same time, shipments to Cuba – grades – decreased, reaching a historical minimum last June of 8,000 barrels per day, to light years of the 55,000 BPD of average agreed.
In that program, the leaders claimed smiling that had met Caracas “a formula”. “Formula that we are not going to explain so that they do not pursue it,” they said, admitting that the preceding levels would not be reached. It is not clear if Mexico can be part of the agreement, due to the increase in Pemex shipments, at prices that the Cuban government cannot pay as required by regulations, but the truth is that the arrival of ships from that country has increased and the value of crude oil and derived to the island It was estimated at more than 600 million dollars In 2024.
Despite this, some users still attribute problems to foreign interference. “Another, no, no no … they are bombing the summer. The enemies are partying,” says one. While another replies: “The enemies? The only enemy that the Cuban people have is the PCC.”
