The Electrical Union reports a deficit close to 2,000 MW and multiple thermoelectric plants out of service in the middle of the Christmas celebration.
MADRID, Spain.- Christmas Eve this December 24 is being experienced in Cuba under a deep energy crisis, with prolonged electricity outages that affect a large part of the country at a time when many families are trying to prepare Christmas dinner in the midst of a marked food shortage.
According to the information report from the Electrical Union (UNE), the National Electrical System (SEN) operates, as usual, with a severe shortage of generation compared to demand. During the previous day, the electrical service was affected 24 hours a day, with a deficit that reached 2,184 megawatts (MW), which forced the continuous application of blackouts.
For the morning of December 24, the UNE reports an availability of 1,320 MW compared to a demand of 2,294 MW, which generates an impact of 988 MW. The situation will worsen during peak hours in the afternoon and evening, coinciding with the traditional Christmas Eve dinner. In that section, the state company projected an availability of around 1,340 MW, compared to an estimated maximum demand of 3,300 MW, which represents a deficit close to 1,960 MW.
This energy imbalance means that simultaneous blackouts will affect up to 60% of the national territory during times of highest consumption.
Electrical authorities attribute these effects to a combination of breakdowns, scheduled maintenance and structural problems in thermoelectric generation, as well as a lack of fuel. According to official information, Unit 5 of the CTE Antonio Maceo, Unit 5 of the CTE Mariel, Unit 2 of the CTE Felton and Unit 6 of the CTE Diez de Octubre are out of service due to breakdowns. In addition, Unit 6 of the CTE Mariel, Unit 2 of the CTE Santa Cruz and Unit 4 of the CTE Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, in Cienfuegos, remain under maintenance.
Added to these incidents are limitations in thermal generation, which keep 536 MW out of service, as well as serious problems due to lack of fuel. According to the UNE, 95 distributed generation plants, with a total capacity of 903 MW, are unavailable for this reason, along with 108 MW at the Moa Fuel plant and another 140 MW out of service due to lack of lubricant. In total, 1,151 MW are affected by fuel shortages, a key factor in the persistence of blackouts.
The aging of the generation infrastructure, together with insufficient investment sustained for years, has reduced the capacity of the electrical system to respond to peaks in demand. The lack of foreign currency to import fuel, spare parts and lubricants has aggravated the deterioration of the plants, many of which remain stopped due to breakdowns that cannot be resolved immediately. All this together with poor government management.
Prolonged outages make it difficult to prepare and preserve food, use refrigeration equipment, and carry out daily activities in homes. In points of sale of food products, the absence of electricity limits the operation of cold rooms and affects the cold chain of perishable products, precisely on a day of high demand.
The energy crisis thus adds to an economic context marked by inflation and the rise in the cost of basic foods, which has already left the possibility of affording a home out of reach for many Cubans. traditional christmas dinner with products such as pork, rice or beans. For thousands of families, facing Christmas Eve amid prolonged power outages adds additional difficulty to a date historically reserved for family reunion.
