Spanish
Cuba will have prolonged blackouts throughout this Monday, cuts that during the peak energy demand hours will leave 55% of the country without power at the same time, according to data from the state-owned Unión Eléctrica (UNE) compiled by EFE.
Although Cuba has been suffering from an acute energy crisis since August 2024, this rate has been at its highest for a few weeks - with a record of 62% on December 8 - due to frequent breakdowns in several obsolete thermoelectric plants and problems importing fuel. In this last aspect, the lack of foreign currency of the Cuban State to acquire enough oil abroad and the US military pressure on the tankers of Venezuela, Havana's main energy supplier, currently converge.You can also read: Putin prohibits the application of sentences from foreign courts in Russia
The UNE, attached to the Cuban Ministry of Energy and Mines, calculates for the 'peak' time of the day, in the evening, a generation capacity of 1,488 megawatts (MW) and a maximum demand of 3,250 MW. The deficit -the difference between supply and demand- will be 1,762 MW and the estimated impact -what will actually be disconnected to avoid disorderly blackouts- will reach 1,792 MW. Currently, six of the 16 operational thermoelectric production units are out of service due to breakdowns or maintenance. This energy source provides around 40% of the energy mix in Cuba. Also, 91 distributed generation plants (engines) and the engine infrastructure of Moa (east) are not operating due to lack of fuel (diesel and fuel oil). In addition, a dozen engines are stopped due to lack of lubricant. This energy source also accounts for 40% of the energy mix. Independent experts point out that the energy crisis in Cuba is due to chronic underfunding of this sector, completely in the hands of the State since the triumph of the revolution in 1959. Several independent calculations estimate that between 8,000 and 10,000 million dollars would be needed to clean up the electrical system. For its part, the Cuban government points to the impact of US sanctions on this industry and accuses Washington of "energy asphyxiation". The prolonged daily blackouts are hampering the economy, which has contracted by 11% in the past five years and will also close in the negative this year. They have also been the trigger for the main protests of the last five years.
