Cuba's National Grid Faces 2,195 MW Shortfall After Line Fault

At 18:07 on Saturday a fault on the 220 kV Matanzas‑Santa Clara and Matanzas‑Cienfuegos transmission lines caused a partial disconnection of the Sistema Eléctrico Nacional (SEN), interrupting electricity service from Pinar del Río to Matanzas. Restoration protocols were applied and power was restored by 01:10 the following morning. For the upcoming peak‑demand period on Sunday, the utility forecasts an available capacity of 1,035 MW against an estimated maximum demand of 3,200 MW, resulting in a projected deficit of 2,195 MW. Several thermal generation units remain out of service, including units 6 and 8 of the CTE Máximo Gómez, unit 1 of the CTE Ernesto Guevara, unit 1 of the CTE Antonio Guiteras and unit 2 of the CTE Lidio Ramón Pérez, while others are under maintenance. Solar photovoltaic parks generated 4,867 MWh yesterday, delivering a peak of 756 MW. Additionally, 106 distributed‑generation plants are offline due to fuel shortages, along with several fuel‑oil plants.