The Cuban Electrical Union (UNE) reported in your daily part about the critical state of the electricity generation in the countrywhich during the nighttime peak hours this Saturday will have an estimated impact of 1,642 MW.
This figure, higher than the deficit of the previous day, has among its triggers the departure of unit 1 of the Felton thermoelectric plant, one of the main plants on the island.
According to the UNE, Felton 1 left the National Electrical System after stopping its operations due to “a breakdown in the capacitor.” The entity does not specify how long this block would be out of action, although its return is not scheduled for this Saturday itself.
Additionally, six other units are also out due to breakdowns and maintenance, among them units 5 of Mariel and Nuevitas, and the two blocks of the Cienfuegos thermoelectric plant. One of them, number 3, must be incorporated for the night peak, according to the official forecast.
If this estimate is met and no other breakdown occurs, at that time 53% of Cuba will be in blackout, according to agency calculations. EFE. This, on a day when uncertainty is increasing about future access to Venezuelan oil, after the United States attack on that nation and the capture of Nicolás Maduro this morning.
Lack of fuel
Just on this day the UNE reports that a total of 933 MW will stop being generated in the country due to lack of fuel. The Melones lake and 88 distributed generation plants will have their operations affected for this reason.
Meanwhile, another 139 MW will be “unavailable due to lack of lubricant” and 454 MW will be lost due to “limitations in thermal generation.”
Cuba has been mired in a prolonged energy crisis for several years that has made blackouts part of the daily life of the population. In this context, power outages extend for 20 or more hours in many locations in the country, which also affects other essential services such as water, telephone, Internet access and life in general.
The new year was received in darkness by many Cubans, on December 31 that had a generation deficit of more than 1,300 MW, a situation that has continued in a similar and worse state in the first days of the year, such as this Saturday when more than half of Cuba will lack electricity during peak night time.
