The Cuban government reported this Thursday that it expects an average of interruptions due to blackouts of about three hours a day until next May due to scheduled maintenance to the country’s thermoelectric power plants (CTE).
He Minister of Energy and MinesVicente de la O Levy, explained in an appearance on television that the main objective of the maintenance is to improve the service for next summer and reduce the outages due to breakdowns that last year caused long blackouts.
this afternoon in @mesaredondacuba we will be talking about the projections of @EnergiaMinasCub for the present year.
Working to achieve good results, which become well-being for our people, is the main objective.#BestIsPossible ?? pic.twitter.com/nGVZi1GCAZ— Vicente de la O Levy (@VicentedelaO2) February 16, 2023
“Afterwards, we are going to continue working throughout the year to continue incorporating power and increasing the reserve to be able to reach the months of June, July and August in better conditions than the previous year,” said the minister, although he warned that “days of affectations”.
He recalled that in 2022 large accidents occurred such as fires at Felton power stationslocated in the province of Holguín, and in the from Mariel; as well as the great fire at the base of deposits of slaughter fuelss. These aggravated the complex situation of the National Electroenergetic System (SEN).
De la O Levy stressed that the island closed 2022 and began 2023 without “scheduled” cuts in the electricity supply, unlike most of last year, when blackouts exceeded 10 hours a day.
He indicated that this was due to “a group of actions”, including the incorporation of seven “patanas” or floating power plants contracted to a Turkish company, a fact that he described as “very important help.”
In this sense, he said that the country now has an availability of 633 megawatts (MW) of mobile generation and the eighth “patana” is being prepared for its synchronization with the SEN.
The minister said that the Antonio Guiteras plant, one of the largest generators and currently unemployed due to an electrical failure, will undergo maintenance in the second half of this year for which at least 40 million dollars in spare parts will be required. .
Regarding the technical conditions of that plant, he indicated that they are “extremely critical” due to the difficulties that have been faced for the acquisition of the parts.
The Cuban SEN is in a precarious situation, as evidenced last year, when blackouts were daily and up to 12 hours a day in some regions. The effects sometimes reached almost 40% of the country.
Among the causes of this situation is the age of the eight terrestrial thermoelectric plants in the country, with an average of more than 40 years in use; the lack of investment and the lack of fuel for the plants.
The situation has worsened in recent years due to the serious economic crisis that the country is going through due to the confluence of the pandemic, the tightening of US sanctions and mistakes in national monetary policy.
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As a future solution, the Cuban authorities are committed to incorporating renewable energies that currently only contribute 302 MW.
The blackouts have a significant economic cost, as the Government has recognized. They also generate social discontent, as evidenced last year after the damage caused by Hurricane Ian, which resulted in spontaneous, minor and peaceful protests.
ANDfaith/OnCuba.
