This Sunday (28), Cuba will face simultaneous blackouts that will affect 48% of the country at the highest energy consumption time, that is, in the afternoon and evening, said the state company União Electric (UNE).
The energy crisis that the country has faced several years ago has worsened considerably in recent months, generating prolonged daily drops that have exceeded 20 hours in extensive regions, including important cities such as Santiago de Cuba and Holguín in the east of the country.
Cuban thermoelectric plants are mostly obsolete after decades of use and suffer from a chronic investment and maintenance deficit; While dozens of generation engines are out of service daily due to lack of currency to import enough fuel.
This situation has already caused five national blackouts since the end of 2024, being the latest on September 10.
In the new bulletin on the situation of the National Electric System (SEN), UNE reported that the day before, the energy service was affected for 24 hours and remained so at dawn.
The state -owned company, linked to the Ministry of Energy and Mines, estimates this Sunday’s peak time a maximum generation capacity of 1,810 megawatts (MW) against a demand of 3,430 MW.
Therefore, the deficit will be 1,620 MW with a higher number in the afternoon, when demand increases.
In addition, the company recorded failures and maintenance in six of the 16 thermoelectric production units.
Independent experts point out that the energy crisis has been the result of chronic sector subfinance, totally state since the 1959 revolution. The Cuban government has given the problems in the effects of the United States.
Independent estimates estimate that the government would need between eight and 10 billion dollars to recover the power grid.
Frequent blackouts damage the Cuban economy, which contracted 1.9% in 2023 and did not grow last year, according to official estimates. The island’s GDP remains below 2019 levels and, according to the government, will not exceed them by 2025, when only 1%is expected.
Energy supply interruptions also feed social discontent in Cuba and have links to the main manifestations of recent years, such as July 2021 and other smaller ones recently occurred in Havana and Gibara.
