Cuba's Power Outages Worsen with Nearly 2,000 MW Electricity Deficit

This Monday, Cuba faces one of the most challenging days of the year concerning power outages, as the country experiences a generation shortfall exceeding 1,800 megawatts (MW) during peak hours, according to official data from the Cuban Electric Union (UNE). The state-owned company reported in its latest update that power service was disrupted for 24 hours the previous day, and the situation continued into this morning, with availability at a mere 1,690 MW against a demand of 3,100 MW, resulting in a deficit affecting 1,430 MW of capacity.

The situation further deteriorated on Monday night when the outage peaked at 1,749 MW at 9:40 p.m., surpassing initial forecasts due to the failure to bring Unit 5 of the Renté thermoelectric plant online. This peak did not coincide with the maximum demand period, highlighting the growing instability of the system.

Currently, several generating units are out of service due to breakdowns, including Unit 1 of the Santa Cruz CTE, Units 3, 5, and 6 of the Renté CTE, and Unit 2 of the Felton CTE. Additionally, maintenance is underway on Unit 2 of Santa Cruz and Unit 4 of the Cienfuegos CTE. Fuel shortages also contribute to the problem: 52 distributed generation plants are non-operational for lack of fuel, and another 370 MW are unavailable due to a shortage of lubricants.

During the evening peak, demand is expected to reach 3,750 MW, while the estimated generation capacity will only be about 1,930 MW, leading to a countrywide shortfall of nearly 1,900 MW.

In Havana, power outages persist. The provincial Electric Company announced on social media that the outage began at 10:04 p.m. on Monday, affecting 238 MW. As this report concludes, service has not yet been restored in certain areas. Residents of the capital will experience extensive power outages on Monday, September 2, and into the early hours of Tuesday, September 3, following a schedule released by the Electric Company.

Block B6 will be the hardest hit, with 10 and a half hours without service, followed by Block B2 with a 9 and a half hour blackout. Blocks B3, B4, and B5 will also face interruptions lasting 7 and a half, 6 and a half, and 6 hours, respectively. Block B1 remains a reserve block but could be affected if demand exceeds expectations. Authorities warn that outages will continue to depend on the conditions of the National Electric System (SEN), increasingly strained by resource shortages and technical failures.