The director of Electrical Dispatch said that a general blackout is not expected. However, he warned that if an unexpected breakdown affected a large generating plant, such as Guiteras, Felton or Céspedes, it could cause a collapse in the SEN similar to the one that occurred on October 18.
During a television appearance, Engineer Rudín Heredia Arañó, director of Networks and Distribution of the Provincial Electrical Office of Santiago de Cuba, referred to the current situation of the electrical service in the face of rumors of a supposed total blackout. These rumors circulated in the population, pointing out possible massive interruptions such as those that occurred last October.
According to an article published by Sierra Maestra Heredia explained that, Currently, nine plants are out of service, of which six have breakdowns and three are undergoing maintenance. From the Electrical Union and through the official Telegram channel, citizens have been informed about the critical situation of the National Electroenergetic System (SEN).
The central-eastern area of the country faces a particularly complex situation. In the eastern region there is no electricity generation, while in the center only two units operate in Camagüey. Of the two Felton units, one is in maintenance and the other is in breakdown, while at the “Renté” plant, unit 5 is also in maintenance. These factors have increased the electricity generation deficit in the country.
Last Thursday, the SEN experienced a deficit of 1,590 MW, which forced it to increase the impacts to supply the transfer of energy from the western to the eastern zones, affecting the rotation of the blocks at critical times.
Stay calm and turn off equipment
Heredia Arañó asked users to remain calm, since the outages scheduled at 7:00 pm could be brought forward and the reconnection times of the electrical service could be delayed due to the circumstances. He emphasized that the generation deficit in Santiago de Cuba could continue to increase, affecting the scheduled circuits and, possibly, some prioritized circuits if demand demands it.
«We ask customers not to despair if it is their turn to affect them at 7:00
pm and they will be affected sooner,” requested the manager, and added:
“We reiterate the call to the population that anyone who has service and can turn off a piece of equipment will be grateful, because it will help restore fluid to others sooner.”
In this context, large consumers in the state sector were also asked to refrain from connecting equipment between the hours of 6:00 and 10:00 at night, and the population was urged to reduce electricity consumption in homes. Heredia Arañó reiterated that each device turned off in homes will contribute to a faster recovery of the service for other users.
The director of the Electrical Office was emphatic in ensuring that a general blackout is not expected. However, he warned that if an unexpected breakdown affected a large generating plant, such as Guiteras, Felton or Céspedes, it could cause a collapse in the SEN similar to the one that occurred on October 18. He added that technical solutions have been implemented to strengthen the system and mitigate possible incidents.
Finally, Heredia Arañó urged the population and the state and non-state sectors to maintain energy saving measures, ensuring that these actions are key to facing the current situation.
**Interview with Engineer Rudín Heredia Arañó on the Current Electrical Situation in Cuba**
**Interviewer**: Thank you for joining us today, Engineer Heredia. With the recent blackouts affecting various regions in Cuba, can you update us on the current situation regarding the electrical service?
**Engineer Heredia**: Thank you for having me. As you may know, we are currently facing significant challenges with our electrical infrastructure. At this moment, nine generating plants are out of service—six due to breakdowns and three undergoing maintenance. This has led to a substantial electricity generation deficit across the country.
**Interviewer**: There has been concern among the public regarding rumors of a total blackout. Can you clarify this situation for us?
**Engineer Heredia**: I want to assure the public that a general blackout is not expected at this time. However, I must emphasize that if there were an unexpected breakdown at a large plant, such as Guiteras or Felton, it could potentially lead to a collapse similar to what we experienced on October 18. That said, we are implementing technical solutions to strengthen the system.
**Interviewer**: The situation seems particularly difficult in the central-eastern region. What specific challenges are you seeing there?
**Engineer Heredia**: Yes, indeed. The central-eastern area is facing a dire situation with very limited electricity generation. In the eastern region, we have no power generation, and in the center, only two units in Camagüey are operational. This has increased the generation deficit, and last Thursday we reported a deficit of 1,590 MW. As a result, scheduled outages may occur more frequently.
**Interviewer**: What advice do you have for citizens to cope with these challenges?
**Engineer Heredia**: I urge everyone to remain calm and to conserve electricity wherever possible. If customers can turn off appliances during peak hours, it significantly helps the overall situation. We are requesting large consumers in the state sector, as well as households, to reduce their energy use between 6:00 and 10:00 PM.
**Interviewer**: So, what can residents expect moving forward?
**Engineer Heredia**: Given the circumstances, it’s likely that outages may be adjusted or brought forward. We appreciate the understanding of the community during this challenging time. Our goal is to stabilize the system and minimize impacts wherever possible. Energy-saving actions by the public will play a key role in our efforts to address this crisis.
**Interviewer**: Thank you, Engineer Heredia, for your insights and for your ongoing work during this challenging time.
**Engineer Heredia**: Thank you for the opportunity to share this information. It’s crucial that we all work together to navigate these difficulties.
