The serious blackouts on the island respond to faults in thermoelectric plants with decades of exploitation and the lack of fuel
Miami, United States. – Electric union (UNE) foresee for this Tuesday Simultaneous blackouts in 54% of Cuba during the highest consumption schedule (late-night), with an availability of only 1,690 megawatts (MW) compared to a demand of 3,500 MW.
The UNE also reported that the service was affected during the 24 hours of this Monday and continued affected in the early hours of Tuesday, with a maximum involvement of 1,941 MW at 8:40 pm yesterday, “superior to what is planned for not entering unit 5 of the CTE Renté.” At 6:00 on Tuesday, the availability of the National Electrical System (SEN) was 1,560 MW compared to a 3,000 MW demand.
The serious blackouts on the island respond to breakdowns in Thermoelectric plants with decades of exploitationto the lack of fuel and financial limitations. This Tuesday seven of the 20 thermoelectric units (in seven plants) are out of service due to breakdowns or maintenance; In addition, 33 distributed generation centrals remain standing due to lack of fuel and 148 MW are unavailable due to lack of lubricant, according to UNE.
In breakdown, unit 5 of CTE Nuevitas, Unit 3 of the CTE Renté and Unit 2 of CTE Felton are reported; In maintenance, Unit 5 of the CTE Mariel, Unit 1 of CTE Felton, Unit 2 of the CTE Santa Cruz and Unit 4 of the CTE Carlos Manuel de Céspedes (Cienfuegos).
As a palliative, it is prognostic for the peak time the entrance of 50 MW in generation engines currently out of fuel, plus 80 MW of motor site engines fuel Mariel. Even so, it maintains its calculation of 1,690 MW of availability before a demand of 3,500 MW.
A prolonged crisis
EFE He recalled this Tuesday that the energy crisis on the island worsened since the middle of last year and left an average of almost 16 hours a day without current in July and almost 15 in August. In cities such as Santiago de Cuba, Matanzas and Holguín are usual cuts that exceed 20 hours a day. In addition, “it is common for real values to exceed the official prognosis” in terms of effects, the agency said.
On the economic level, the blackouts have the activity: the national economy contracted 1.1% in 2024 and accumulate a 11% drop in five yearsaccording to official data. ECLAC provides that the Cuban GDP is negative this year. Various independent calculations estimate that they would need between 8,000 and 10,000 million dollars to refloat the electrical system, amounts with which Havana does not count.
Independent experts, cited by EFE, attribute the crisis to a chronic infinance of a sector under state control since 1959. The Cuban government, meanwhile, points out the impact of US sanctions and accuses an “energy suffocation.”
The blackouts have also fed social discontent and have been linked to the main protests of recent years, such as July 2021, the largest since 1959.
