This Sunday, the Electric Union (UNE) reported a slight improvement in the National Electrical System (SEN) compared to previous days, although the situation remains dire. According to the official report, service disruptions occurred throughout Saturday and continued into the early hours of Sunday. The peak outage reached 1,706 MW at 8:00 pm.
At 6:00 am, the system's availability stood at 1,750 MW against a demand of 2,587 MW, resulting in a shortfall of 860 MW. By midday, the projected shortfall was 1,150 MW. During the peak hours, availability is expected to reach 1,850 MW with a maximum demand of 3,350 MW, leading to a deficit of 1,500 MW and potential interruptions up to 1,570 MW.
Current Challenges and Unit Failures
The UNE cited breakdowns in five units at the CTE Felton, Mariel, and Renté, along with scheduled maintenance in three units at CTE Santa Cruz and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes in Cienfuegos. However, this report was compiled before an unexpected emergency forced unit 3 of the Santa Cruz thermoelectric plant offline for the cleaning of the CAR.
The crisis is exacerbated by thermal limitations keeping 352 MW out of service, and shortages of fuel and lubricants affecting 51 distributed generation engines, totaling 534 MW impacted by these factors.
Solar Energy's Limited Contribution
On a brighter note, UNE reported that the 31 solar photovoltaic parks in the country generated a total of 3,024 MWh, reaching a peak power of 622 MW at midday. This contribution, however, only covers a fraction of the national demand and highlights the increasing reliance on intermittent sources amid low thermal generation availability.
A Brighter Saturday in Havana
In Havana, the Electric Company noted that Saturday saw a maximum disruption of 125 MW at 8:20 pm, with full service restored by 12:53 am Sunday. Although disruptions were planned between 10:00 am and 2:30 pm, and again from 2:00 am to 8:00 am, these were ultimately unnecessary. The entity reminded that disruptions depend on the demands of the National Electrical System.
In another announcement, the company shared the planned disruptions due to generation deficits for the upcoming week, October 6 to 12, 2025.
Persistent Issues at the CTE Ernesto Che Guevara
Last September, amid prolonged outages and growing public frustration, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel visited the Santa Cruz del Norte thermoelectric plant to oversee SEN recovery efforts. At that time, unit 2 was undergoing major maintenance involving turbine and boiler repairs, expected to conclude by late October. The other two units were generating 55 and 48 MW, though their staggered shutdowns for cleaning and maintenance were already planned. Unit 3, now offline, was synchronized in May after light maintenance, yet it failed to alleviate the energy crisis over the summer months.
This incident adds to a pattern of frequent outages and breakdowns, highlighting the fragile state of the national energy infrastructure. The lack of transparency regarding breakdowns and repair plans leaves the public uncertain about service recovery. The recurring failure of SEN units and reliance on temporary measures underscore the fragility of a system in need of deep, sustainable interventions, as Cubans endure ongoing power outages.
Understanding Cuba's Energy Crisis
What is causing the frequent power outages in Cuba?
The frequent power outages in Cuba are primarily due to breakdowns in various units of the electrical system, scheduled maintenance, thermal limitations, and shortages of fuel and lubricants.
How is Cuba addressing the energy shortfall?
Cuba is attempting to address the energy shortfall by relying on solar energy from photovoltaic parks and managing scheduled maintenance and emergency repairs in thermoelectric plants. However, these measures have not been sufficient to meet the national demand.
How does the solar energy contribution compare to the national demand?
The solar energy contribution, although beneficial, only covers a small fraction of the national demand, underscoring the need for more reliable and consistent energy sources.