Minister of Energy and Mines Reports on Power Situation

Cuba’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, briefed the press on the country’s complex energy situation in recent days.

He explained that power outages worsened this week due to a combination of factors: the shutdown of Felton 1, a malfunction at the Mariel engine site, the trip of Nuevitas 5, and the delayed reentry of Renté 5 after maintenance.

He stressed that the trip of Unit 5 at Nuevitas forced authorities to suddenly cut off a large portion of Havana’s circuits on Monday afternoon to prevent another disconnection and the potential collapse of the National Electric System (SEN).

Solutions will be implemented gradually for short-, medium-, and long-term generation, but in the immediate term, Felton 1 is expected to return to the SEN this weekend with more than 220 MW, alongside the final adjustments of Renté 5.

The minister noted that the malfunction at Mariel’s engines has already been resolved.

In October, the SEN is scheduled to recover Unit 4 of the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Thermoelectric Plant and Unit 2 of Santa Cruz del Norte, both of which had been undergoing maintenance. These units were originally slated to return in the summer but were delayed.

De la O Levy added that the country has secured the resources to undertake a full overhaul of the Antonio Guiteras plant beginning in December, a period that coincides with the lowest electricity demand of the year.

He emphasized that the current situation remains tense, as restoring plants and their equipment requires significant financial resources. Thanks to the efforts of energy-sector workers, he said, the plants continue to provide service despite more than 40 years of continuous operation.

“The difficulties are worsening not only due to outdated technologies but also because of postponed maintenance and the lack of funding for the capital overhauls of these units,” he stated.

Regarding floating generation through power barges, the minister explained that of the eight units previously operating in the country, only two remain, jointly supplying about 70 MW.