The worsening energy crisis in Cuba has once again highlighted the crumbling infrastructure as the nation faces severe power shortages.
The National Electric Union (UNE) reported disruptions throughout Thursday, with the most significant power cut reaching 1,748 MW at 6:10 pm. This underscores the National Electric System's (SEN) ongoing struggle to meet energy demand.
On Friday morning at 6:00 am, total power availability was at 1,560 MW, while demand soared to 2,128 MW, resulting in a shortfall of 598 MW from the start of the day.
By midday, the UNE anticipated that the power cut would rise to 900 MW, effectively bringing the country to a standstill during working hours.
Equipment Failures and Maintenance Challenges
In a detailed report, the UNE outlined several factors exacerbating the situation:
Breakdowns occurred in two units at the Máximo Gómez (Mariel) and Felton (Holguín) thermoelectric plants, with three additional units undergoing maintenance at the Santa Cruz and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes (Cienfuegos) power stations.
Additionally, 568 MW were limited due to thermal generation issues, which continue to be a significant burden on the SEN.
Fuel Shortages: Over 1,000 MW Offline
The report highlighted the direct impact of fuel scarcity on electricity generation:
99 distributed generation plants, totaling 919 MW, are offline.
An extra 83 MW are out of service due to a lack of lubricants.
Altogether, 1,002 MW are unavailable purely due to fuel and lubricant shortages, demonstrating a critical reliance on these resources for the basic operation of the system.
Peak Hour Forecast: Country Faces Major Energy Deficit
The UNE projected an even grimmer scenario for the evening: an estimated availability of 1,560 MW against a demand of 3,300 MW.
This translates to a shortfall of 1,740 MW, potentially resulting in a disruption of 1,770 MW if current conditions persist.
This level of power cut represents nearly half of the national demand, foreshadowing widespread, prolonged blackouts.
Solar Energy: A Growing but Insufficient Solution
The UNE noted that 33 new photovoltaic solar parks contributed 2,665 MWh throughout the day, peaking at 536 MW at noon.
While these figures signify progress in renewable energy capacity, the contribution remains inadequate to offset the massive losses in thermal generation.
Critical Energy Situation in Havana
The Havana Electric Company released its own statement on Facebook regarding the situation in the capital.
It reported that service was interrupted for six hours on Thursday, with a peak disconnection of 154 MW at 6:00 pm.
Power was restored by 8:36 pm, with no further disruptions during the early hours due to generation deficits.
The company reiterated that the outages in the city are contingent on the SEN's performance, whose instability necessitates both planned and unplanned disconnections in the capital.
Understanding Cuba's Energy Crisis
What is causing the severe power outages in Cuba?
The severe power outages in Cuba are primarily caused by structural issues in the electric grid, equipment failures, and a critical shortage of fuel and lubricants necessary for power generation.
How is the National Electric Union addressing the situation?
The National Electric Union is attempting to manage the crisis by conducting maintenance on faulty units, although the lack of resources severely limits their ability to restore full power capacity.
Can solar energy help resolve Cuba's energy crisis?
While solar energy is contributing to the grid, its current capacity is insufficient to significantly mitigate the losses from thermal generation failures.