The forecast does not take into account the five national blackouts that occurred in less than a year.
Miami, United States. – Cuba will face this Friday one of the worst days of the current energy crisis. According to the electric union (UNE)simultaneous blackouts could affect up to 58% of the country.
In its daily part, the UNE reported that this Thursday the service was affected during the 24 hours and continued thus during the early hours of today. The maximum generation deficit affectation was 1,842 megawatts (MW), superior to what is planned by the unforeseen exit of units 3 and 6 of the thermoelectric plant (CTE) rented.
At 6:00 am this Friday, UNE already reported a deficit of 1,274 MW. The forecast for this Friday included the entrance to the SEN of Unit 5 of the CTE Mariel, which, According to UNE itselfit happened at 10:34 in the morning today.
The system operates with multiple unavailability. Due to breakdowns are unity 2 of CTE Felton, Mariel Units 5 and 8, Unit 5 of CTE Nuevitas and Units 3, 5 and 6 of the CTE I rented. Units 1 and 2 of the Santa Cruz CTE and Unit 4 of the CTE Carlos Manuel de Céspedes (Cienfuegos) remain. UNE also reports thermal limitations with 264 MW out of service.
To the technical problems is added the insufficiency of fuel and lubricants. According to UNE, 66 distributed generation plants are stopped due to lack of fuel and there are 157 MW indispensable due to lack of lubricant, for a total of 713 MW affected by this cause.
The EFE agency Underline that this Friday is expected “the highest rate of affectation registered in about three years.” He also recalls that the largest figure until now had been registered in February and September, with 57% of the country without current at the same time. The agency also states that “it is common for real values to exceed the official prognosis.”
The deterioration occurs in a context of prolonged energy crisis, with five national blackouts in less than a year and daily cuts of more than 20 hours in different provinces. Even Havana – less punished for months – now records interruptions of up to 10 hours a day.
Among the main causes, the Cuban government cites faults in thermoelectricas with decades of exploitation and fuel deficit due to lack of foreign exchange to import it. Independent experts, cited by EFE, attribute the situation to a chronic infinance of the state sector. The Government, on the other hand, highlights the impact of the sanctions of the United States and speaks of “energy suffocation.”
Various independent calculations estimate that between 8,000 and 10,000 million dollars would be required to refloat the electrical system. The blackouts continue to feed the social discontent, linked to the mass protests of July 2021 and more recent manifestations in Havana and Gibara. On Thursday night, a massive protest In Centro Habana, where neighbors of several blocks, including women and children, blocked Monte Street to demand the restitution of basic services after prolonged blackouts and a growing crisis of drinking water supply.
The protesters spontaneously came out to public roads with pans and protest slogans. They even caught a fire in the middle of the street, as evidenced by videos spread on social networks.
