Hours before, Unit 6 of Energás Jaruco had also gone out of service.
MADRID, Spain.- The Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Power Plant (CTE), located in Matanzas and considered the most important in Cuba, left the National Electric System (SEN) on Tuesday morning due to a failure in the boiler, according to reported the Electrical Union (UNE) in a brief publication on social networks.
The new blackout at the plant, which in theory can contribute up to 260 MW to the system, aggravates the country’s already critical energy panorama, affected by continuous breakdowns, lack of fuel and a growing generation deficit.
The departure from Guiteras occurs only a couple of hours after the UNE reported the disconnection, at 6:55 am, of Unit 6 of Energás Jaruco, due to the presence of “sargassum in the entrance channel of BC-4705.”
“That Guiteras can no longer handle her soul”… not even the Cubans
The UNE’s Facebook posts about the disconnection of these thermoelectric plants unleashed a wave of indignation among Cubans, who expressed their frustration at the chronic instability of the electrical system. “Come in, come out, come in, come out! That Guiteras can’t handle her soul anymore. Well, none of them are any good anymore. The poor things, it takes too many years!”, commented one user. Another Internet user asked himself: “How long are these HP going to be mocking, humiliating and torturing the people?” “Every day it’s something, something failed. It’s a complete disgrace for Cubans. What kind of lack of respect,” another user added. “How can Cubans endure for having hope that this is going to get better… yes, of course, the entire country is going to be a cemetery,” lamented one Internet user.
According to a informative note published by the state company, the electrical service remained affected 24 hours the previous day and throughout the early hours of today. The maximum impact recorded was 1,765 MW at 7:40 p.m., a figure higher than planned. At 6:00 am, SEN availability was 1,680 MW against a demand of 2,730 MW, leaving 1,082 MW affected by capacity deficit. During the daytime, an impact of 1,150 MW is expected, and for the nighttime peak the forecast is even more gloomy: a deficit of 1,670 MW.
Among the main incidents reported by the UNE are breakdowns in units 2 of the CTE Felton, 3 of Santa Cruz, 8 of Mariel and 3, 5 and 6 of Renté. In addition, units 1 and 2 of Santa Cruz and unit 4 of the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes CTE, in Cienfuegos, remain under maintenance. The report also indicates 307 MW out of service due to thermal limitations, as well as 499 MW affected by lack of fuel and lubricants, which includes the paralysis of 54 distributed generation plants throughout the country.
The energy crisis in Cuba, which has been going on since mid-2024, responds to constant breakdowns in obsolete thermal power plants, scheduled maintenance, lack of fuel and lubricants, as well as the paralysis of dozens of distributed generation engines.
So far this year, the Antonio Guiteras has suffered multiple shutdowns due to breakages or maintenance, a reflection of the structural deterioration of the Cuban electrical system, which continues to leave millions of people in the dark for days of up to 20 hours without electricity in most provinces.
