MIAMI, United States. – The Cuban Electric Union (UNE) advertisement that 18% of the national territory will be in simultaneous blackout during peak hours (afternoon-evening) this Wednesday, mainly due to breakdowns in several of the thermoelectric plants.
Specifically, for this Wednesday, UNE estimates a maximum electricity generation capacity of 2,570 megawatts (MW) and a demand of up to 3,050 MW, for a deficit of 480 MW.
However, the impact (what will actually be disconnected) will reach 550 MW during peak hours on August 9, UNE said.
Currently, power cuts affect all provinces (although they are worse outside of Havana) and have reached up to 10 hours a day twice a day (around 20 hours in total).
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 inconvenience 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. “We cannot commit to no blackouts. Given the current system conditions, such a commitment is not possible at this time,” he also said.
The blackouts, which affected more than a third of the population in June, further complicate the country’s already tense energy situation. Power cuts affect all provinces, reaching up to ten hours a day, even in Havanawhere “scheduled” blackouts are implemented by neighborhood, lasting approximately eight hours.
These blackouts not only undermine 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.
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