It's often said that misfortunes never come alone, and that's precisely the case for Cuba's electricity woes. The Lidio Ramón Pérez Thermoelectric Plant, commonly referred to as Felton and located in Mayarí, Holguín, went offline this past Friday. This development has further strained an already critical situation for the National Electric System (SEN), which was grappling with a significant generation shortfall and the aftermath of a fire at the Santa Cruz del Norte power plant.
The state-run Unión Eléctrica (UNE) announced at 11:31 a.m. on Friday that the Felton plant was offline through a brief post on Facebook, stating: "Felton's Lidio Ramón Pérez CTE is out of service." However, the company did not disclose the reasons for the disconnection, the specific unit affected, or when the facility might resume operations.
This news is particularly alarming because earlier that morning, the UNE had already reported that Felton's Unit 2 was out of commission due to a malfunction. The incident coincides with a time when Cuba's power grid is operating with a generation capacity far below national demand, leading to lengthy blackouts in many areas.
Electricity Demand Significantly Exceeds Supply
Earlier in the day, UNE had reported that at 6:00 a.m., the SEN had a mere 740 megawatts (MW) available against a demand of 2,260 MW, resulting in a 1,540 MW capacity shortfall. For peak demand periods, UNE forecasted availability of 740 MW against an estimated consumption of 2,900 MW, indicating a deficit of 2,160 MW and an expected impact of 2,190 MW.
These estimates were released before the 11:31 a.m. announcement regarding Felton, meaning they do not account for the additional impact of that shutdown. The morning report highlighted numerous thermoelectric units unavailable, including Units 1 and 2 of Santa Cruz del Norte, the Antonio Guiteras plant in Matanzas, and Units 3 and 6 of Renté in Santiago de Cuba.
System Vulnerability and Recent Fires
Additionally, maintenance work was ongoing at Santa Cruz's Unit 3, Nuevitas' Unit 5, and Renté's Unit 5. Thermal generation limitations reached 394 MW, according to official data. The previous day, UNE acknowledged that electrical service was disrupted for a full 24 hours, with the maximum capacity deficit hitting 2,094 MW at 7:30 p.m., exceeding forecasts due to issues at Cienfuegos' Units 3 and 4 and Santa Cruz's Unit 2.
On that day, solar photovoltaic parks produced 3,738 megawatt-hours (MWh), with a peak power delivery of 581 MW during daylight. However, solar contributions are unavailable at night, a time when electric demand remains high, forcing the system to rely on alternative generation sources.
Why do misfortunes often come together? The recent issue at Felton arose just hours after a major fire affected Unit 1 of the Ernesto Guevara de la Serna thermoelectric plant in Santa Cruz del Norte, Mayabeque. According to UNE's report, the fire broke out around 6:55 a.m., necessitating a fire brigade response to contain the blaze.
Authorities later confirmed the fire was extinguished without injuries, and images of the aftermath were shared publicly. State media reported that the fire originated from an oil leak at the rotor's front part in Unit 1, identified by the on-duty operator. Although the fire was put out, the full extent of material damage and the timeline for the unit's reintegration have yet to be announced.
The series of incidents at Santa Cruz and Felton underscores the fragility of Cuba's electric system, which continues to battle frequent breakdowns, ongoing maintenance, and insufficient generation capacity to meet the nation's needs.
Understanding Cuba's Power Crisis
What caused the Felton power plant to go offline?
The specific reasons for Felton's disconnection have not been disclosed by the Unión Eléctrica (UNE). The outage coincides with other significant issues within Cuba's power system.
How severe is the electricity shortage in Cuba?
Cuba is experiencing a substantial electricity shortfall, with available generation far below national demand, causing extended blackouts across various regions.
What are the implications of the recent fire at the Santa Cruz power plant?
The fire at Santa Cruz's Ernesto Guevara de la Serna plant highlights vulnerabilities within Cuba's power infrastructure and adds to the existing strain on the country's electric system.