Cuba to End Week With Blackouts Affecting Up to 65% of Country at Peak Hours

Cuba will close the week with blackouts affecting up to 65% of the country during the evening peak, according to data from the state electricity utility Unión Eléctrica, or UNE.

The utility expects maximum demand on Sunday to reach 3,250 megawatts, while available generation will stand at 1,155 megawatts. That leaves a deficit of 2,095 megawatts. The estimated impact, meaning the power that will actually be disconnected to prevent uncontrolled outages, will reach 2,125 megawatts.

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acute

Eight of Cuba’s 16 thermoelectric generating units are currently out of service because of breakdowns or maintenance. Thermoelectric plants provide 40% of the country’s energy mix and run on domestically produced crude, which the article says is not affected by the oil blockade. Another 40% comes from generating engines that require imported diesel and fuel oil. Gas and renewable sources, particularly solar power backed by recent Chinese support, provide the remaining 20%.

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critical

The country’s energy crisis has intensified in recent months. In Havana, outages have lasted more than 20 consecutive hours, leaving only two or three hours of service, while provinces have reported several consecutive days without electricity. The government describes the national power system as “acute,” “critical” and “extremely tense,” citing the impact of the oil blockade and U.S. sanctions alongside the deterioration of aging power plants.

Cuba needs an estimated 100,000 barrels of oil a day to meet its energy needs, with 40,000 barrels coming from domestic production. The blackouts have nearly paralyzed the economy, which contracted by 15% between 2020 and 2025. Independent forecasts cited in the article project a contraction of up to 6.5% this year.

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extremely tense