Cuba facing a complex energy situation
- Written by Redacción ¡ahora!
- Published in Cuba
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The current state of the Cuba's national electric system (SEN) and the actions undertaken to recover it, were the topics addressed on September 18 during the TV program Mesa Redonda.
The Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines, Tatiana Amarán Bogachova, pointed out the negative impact of blackouts on Cuban society, which affect homes and the economy, but also cause dissatisfaction among the population.
She noted that the electricity crisis is caused by internal problems, including the aging infrastructure of thermoelectric plants, which have exceeded their service life of 25 to 30 years.
She said that other internal factors influencing this situation include a lack of maintenance due to financial and planning problems, the chemical characteristics of domestic crude oil that shorten maintenance cycles, and the delay in the implementation of renewable energy projects that would reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Added to this are damages caused by recent meteorological phenomena, which have severely affected the electrical structure and require additional resources for repairs.
Regarding external factors, Amarán Bogachova referred to the U.S. blockade, which limits Cuba’s access to technologies and financing needed for the electric sector.
This imperialist policy imposes sanctions on companies and foreign banks that try to trade with Cuba, negatively impacting its energy development, and stated that the blockade is not an excuse, but rather a concrete economic action that hampers the nation's development capabilities.
Regarding the state of the SEN (National Electricity System), engineer Mario Castillo Salas, deputy director of the Electric Union (UNE), acknowledged that the impacts remain high and attributed this situation to the critical complexity of the system, which has been explained on several occasions.
He also said that thermal energy remains the base of electricity generation, accounting for more than 50% of national production. However, he emphasized the growth of solar energy, with over 700 megawatts of installed capacity in photovoltaic parks and ongoing projects to increase this capacity.
He reported that this plan is estimated to conclude in December with 51 synchronized parks, while another 200 MW will be available from donations.
Castillo Salas mentioned that the electric grid is outdated and overloaded due to climatic conditions, which makes its maintenance and recovery difficult. He highlighted the importance of distributed generation with combustion engines to reduce the energy deficit and expressed optimism about the completion of recovery processes in key units to stabilize the system.
