Power company forecasts power outages in about 32% of Cuba this Friday

Havana, Dec. 2. The state-owned company Unión Eléctrica (UNE) is forecasting blackouts this Friday in about 32% of Cuba during the afternoon-evening peak consumption hours.

Power outages are frequent in the Caribbean country due to the serious crisis in the energy sector, which worsened after the impact of Hurricane Ian last September in the far west.

UNE calculates for peak hours an electric generation capacity of 2,235 megawatts (MW) and a maximum demand of 3,170 MW.

The deficit - the difference between supply and demand - will be 935 MW, and the impact - what will actually be disconnected - will be 1,005 MW.

The Government announced that it would reduce the impact of blackouts before the end of the year with repairs and new investments.

The main causes are breakages and failures in the outdated thermoelectric plants, lack of fuel and scheduled maintenance, according to the Government.

Most of Cuba's land-based power plants operate with more than 40 years of operation, when the average age is 30 years. Maintenance has also been deficient.

Power outages affect the country's economic activity and the daily life of Cubans, which has generated social discontent and spontaneous protests in recent weeks.

Blackouts were one of the main reasons behind the anti-government demonstrations of July 11 last year, the largest in decades, as well as those registered after Hurricane Ian, when a good part of the island was without power for a week. EFE

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