The VC100 circuit, located in Havana's Arroyo Naranjo municipality, reached a staggering 64 hours and six minutes of power outage by 6:00 AM on Friday, October 30, according to a report by the Havana Electric Company, as noted in CiberCuba's Blackout Observatory.
At that hour, the report showed that 173 distribution circuits were impacted, resulting in a 355 megawatt (MW) power shortfall in the capital. The company has attributed these outages to a significant generation deficit.
The recorded duration for the VC100 circuit is cumulative, though the consulted report does not specify the time frame over which these outages occurred, nor does it mention any potential interim service restorations.
The Broader Impact Across Havana
Also in Arroyo Naranjo, the A1695 circuit logged 40 hours and 22 minutes of downtime, while other circuits, such as the C8 from Cerro and R451 from Regla, reported 37 hours and 38 minutes without power, according to records from 6:00 AM on the given day.
Electricity Shortages During Peak Demand
The Electric Union (UNE) has forecasted a power shortfall of 1,990 MW for peak consumption hours this Friday. With only 840 MW available to meet a demand of 2,800 MW, a deficit of 1,960 MW is expected. These projections were included in the official October 30 report distributed by the Camagüey Electric Company and are contingent upon current conditions remaining unchanged.
On Thursday, October 29, the power cuts persisted for a full 24 hours, reaching a peak shortfall of 2,004 MW at 7:10 PM. The report indicates that these power shortages continued into the early hours of Friday.
Maintenance and Breakdowns Hamper Power Generation
The UNE reported breakdowns in several units: Santa Cruz unit 1, Antonio Guiteras, Felton unit 2, and Renté units 3 and 6. Meanwhile, Santa Cruz unit 3, Nuevitas units 5 and 6, and Renté unit 5 were undergoing maintenance. Thermal limitations amounted to 496 MW, with plans to bring 50 MW online from Renté unit 6, which is in the startup phase, during peak demand.
Prolonged Outages in Cienfuegos
The power issues in Havana join reports from other provinces. On Wednesday, October 28, the Cienfuegos Electric Company admitted it couldn't adhere to its scheduled rotations and announced service provision to circuits with outages lasting between 70 and 89 hours, as reported by CiberCuba. The challenges were attributed to low power generation availability nationwide and the unexpected shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant. Reports from state companies describe a system unable to meet demand, failing to uphold announced rotations for residents, particularly in areas like Cienfuegos.
Understanding Cuba's Power Crisis
What is causing the frequent power outages in Cuba?
The frequent power outages in Cuba are primarily due to a significant generation deficit, exacerbated by equipment breakdowns and maintenance issues in key power plants.
How long have some areas been without power?
In some areas, like the VC100 circuit in Arroyo Naranjo, power outages have exceeded 64 hours, while other circuits have reported outages lasting up to 89 hours.
What measures are being taken to address the power shortages?
Efforts to mitigate power shortages include maintenance and repair of malfunctioning units and attempts to bring additional power supplies online. However, the overall availability remains insufficient to meet demand.