The Cuban regime boasted of the supposed stability of the National Electroenergy System (SEN), stating that at the time of the arrival of the new year, “everyone had power.”
The statement was made by the official journalist Esther Lilian González in a report from the Ministry of Energy and Mines of Cuba, where he assured that December 31 “was a good day for the Electrical Union (UNE)” because the system “closed its loads at 8:30 at night. That is to say, at 12:00 am, when January 1 arrived, in Cuba everyone had power.”
However, that supposed happiness was short-lived. Just a few hours later, the country once again faced long blackouts.
Sustained system collapse
The technical report from the Electrical Union confirms that the situation of the SEN continues to be critical. At 6:00 am this Thursday, availability was barely 1.500 MW facing a demand for 1.360 MWwithout effects at that time, although with a forecast of new interruptions of up to 150 MW during the day.
The document details that the units 5 of the CTE Mariel, 2 from CTE Felton y 3 of the CTE Céspedes; while other units, such as 2 of the CTE Santa Cruz and the 4 of the CTE Carlos Manuel de Céspedes (Cienfuegos)are undergoing scheduled maintenance. In total, 687 MW They are out of service due to technical limitations in thermal generation.
Added to these problems are the fuel shortage limitations. There are 66 distributed generation plants that are not operating, representing a loss of 700 MW. Besides, 35 MW of the Patana of Melons, 40 MW of the Ruler’s Patana y 142 MW due to lack of lubricant they complete a total deficit of 917 MW due to lack of fuel.
The forecasts for the January 1 peak schedule are not encouraging. Despite the possible entry of the unit 3 of the CTE Céspedes with 120 MW, a total availability of 1.620 MW facing a maximum demand of 2.950 MW. If current conditions continue, an impact of up to 1.360 MW at night time.
While the regime tries to sell optimism with triumphalist phrases, the country’s energy reality remains mired in a structural crisis, marked by technological deterioration, poor state management and the lack of sustained investment. For millions of Cubans, the new year began, once again, between blackouts, heat and uncertainty.
