The National Electric System (SEN) of Cuba encountered another challenging day on Saturday, January 18, marked by prolonged blackouts and a significant shortfall in power generation, as reported by the Cuban Electric Union (UNE) in a Facebook post.
According to the official update, the entire previous day saw continuous disruptions to the electrical service. The peak deficit in generation capacity reached 1,995 megawatts (MW) at 6:40 pm, surpassing the forecasted figures.
The company attributed this to outages at the Unit 1 of the CTE Santa Cruz and the Fuel Moa facility, which were out of operation.
Early Sunday morning, at 6:00 am, the system's available capacity was 1,380 MW, while demand soared to 2,250 MW, resulting in an immediate shortage of 906 MW.
Power Plant Failures
For midday, an even larger deficit of 1,000 MW was anticipated. The UNE highlighted that four critical units are currently non-operational due to breakdowns at the CTE Mariel, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, Felton, and Antonio Maceo plants.
Adding to these issues, maintenance work is underway on two blocks of the CTE Santa Cruz and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes facilities. Furthermore, thermal generation limitations keep 625 MW out of service, significantly impairing the SEN's ability to meet national demand.
Fuel and Lubricant Shortages
The situation is exacerbated by a shortage of essential supplies. The UNE reported that 95 distributed generation plants are offline, resulting in a 915 MW impact. Additionally, the Melones Barge has 36 MW unavailable, and the Regla Barge keeps 46 MW out of the system.
Moreover, 155 MW are specifically affected due to a lack of lubricants, a technical issue hindering the normal operation of several pieces of equipment. Altogether, these fuel and lubricant issues contribute to a total impact of 1,152 MW.
Peak Hour Forecast
During peak hours, the Regla Barge's engines are expected to contribute 46 MW. With this reinforcement, the projected availability stands at 1,426 MW against an estimated maximum demand of 3,150 MW, resulting in a 1,724 MW shortfall.
If current conditions persist, the forecasted impact for the peak period is anticipated to be 1,754 MW.
Solar Parks' Contribution
The UNE highlighted that the energy production from 37 new photovoltaic solar parks reached 2,543 megawatt-hours (MWh), delivering a peak power of 563 MW during midday.
Havana's Energy Situation
Meanwhile, the Havana Electric Company revealed that the previous day saw 12 hours and 45 minutes of service interruptions. The capital's maximum impact was 412 MW at 6:20 pm, with full restoration occurring by 2:10 am.
The entity noted that due to low availability of base generation, it was impossible to adhere to the scheduled programming, leading to an emergency impact of 110 MW.
As of the report's closure, block 3 was affected by the deficit, and it was warned that if SEN conditions do not improve, more blocks and circuits will face emergency disruptions.
Understanding Cuba's Energy Crisis
What is causing Cuba's current energy crisis?
Cuba's energy crisis is primarily due to outdated infrastructure, operational failures at key power plants, and shortages of fuel and lubricants essential for power generation.
How are solar parks contributing to Cuba's energy supply?
Solar parks in Cuba are helping alleviate the energy shortfall, with new photovoltaic installations providing a significant portion of energy, reaching a peak delivery of 563 MW.
What measures are being taken to address the energy deficit?
Efforts to address the energy deficit include maintenance on affected power plants, optimizing distributed generation, and leveraging solar energy contributions.