MEXICO CITY, Mexico.- After two weeks of maintenance, the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Power Plant (CTA), located in Matanzas, was synchronized this Saturday with the National Electroenergetic System (SEN).
The Electric Union of Cuba (UNE), pointed out today in its profile of Facebook that it was ramping up its load to reach its maximum generating capacity.
The Matanzas thermoelectric plant, the one with the largest generation capacity in the country, stopped its operation on November 4 due to a failure in one of the regenerative air heaters, reported then ACN.
After this “unexpected” departure, its directors explained that it would remain out of service to execute more than 320 maintenance tasks and slightly increase the power up to 240 MW. Among the actions carried out, they repaired one of the regenerative air heaters, cleaned the condenser. They also carried out other work in the boiler area.
A constant breakdown
In recent times the failures of this plant have been constant; as well as the news of its withdrawal from the national system. This has resulted in a notable increase in blackouts in recent months. On October 3rd, the Antonio Guiteras went out, just hours after producing power again.
In the middle of last month, directors of the UNE and the thermoelectric company indicated that this I had to stop for at least three months for general maintenance. Something impossible in the current crisis that the country is going through. However, it is not a new claim. For more than 10 years the thermoelectric plant has demanded a capital repair, but it still hasn’t happened. Instead, the authorities patch up some points that end up working for a short time.
The journalist from the official Radio Rebelde station in Matanzas, José Miguel Solís, has insinuated in his reports that precisely the rush to start the thermoelectric plant could lead to much more serious breakdowns.
Cuban thermoelectric plants, without proper repairs or maintenance, are shortening their useful life every day. A scenario that is aggravated by the current economic crisis on the island. Hence, Díaz-Canel has the objective of his current tour by allied countries, obtain hydrocarbons and postpone the payments of the debts.
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