UNE estimates a deficit of 960 MW during peak hours.

The power shortage in Cuba continues to affect the country’s electricity service. According to the latest report from the Electricity Union, the deficit is expected to reach 960 megawatts today during the hours of highest demand.

Cuba’s National Electricity System (SEN) continues to struggle to maintain stable electricity supplies throughout the country. According to a report released by the Electricity Union (UNE) on September 17, 2024, service has been severely disrupted due to a lack of generation capacity, affecting thousands of users.
outage

At 7:48 a.m. the previous day, service was restored after a major outage. But starting at 08:33, outages occurred again due to a shortage in generating capacity. By early morning, power could not be restored, resulting in power outages in several areas of the country.

Current status of SEN

The UNE report indicates that at 07:00 on 17 September, the system availability was 2,170 MW, while demand reached 2,550 MW, generating an impact of 411 MW due to insufficient generation capacity. The impact at midday is expected to reach 550 MW.

Thermal units of several plants are still experiencing failures. Currently, Unit 8 of CTE Mariel, Unit 1 of CTE Santa Cruz, Unit 5 of CTE Nuevitas, Unit 2 of CTE Felton, and Unit 5 of CTE Rente are out of service. In addition, there are thermal generation constraints affecting a total of 449 MW.

On the other hand, 59 distributed generation stations were taken out of service due to fuel shortages, adding an additional 448 megawatts to the total impact.

Today’s rush hour forecast

UNE estimates that CTE Santa Cruz Unit 1, with a capacity of 70 MW, could come online during the afternoon peak hour. However, the peak demand at that time is expected to reach 3,200 MW, while availability will reach 2,240 MW, resulting in a deficit of 960 MW. If these conditions persist, the impact is expected to reach 1,030 MW during peak hours.

Short term forecast

The UNE report reflects the critical situation facing the Cuban electricity system, marked by breakdowns, fuel shortages and growing demand that exceeds generation capacity. Authorities continue to work to stabilize supply, but the short-term outlook remains worrisome for citizens.