Unit 8 of the Máximo Gómez thermoelectric plant left the system this morning due to “turbine instrumentation problems.”
LIMA, Peru – The Electrical Union (UNE) predicted for December 20 that simultaneous blackouts will reach around 58% of the national territory, with an impact of close to 1,955 megawatts (MW) during peak consumption hours.
According to the official partthe maximum capacity planned for peak hours is 1,475 MW, compared to an estimated demand of 3,400 MW, which would leave a deficit of 1,925 in the electrical system.
The UNE indicated this Saturday that Unit 5 of the Máximo Gómez Thermoelectric Power Plant (CTE) has been online since dawn, while Unit 8 of the Máximo Gómez CTE left the system during the same time due to “turbine instrumentation problems.”
The company indicates that a total of seven thermoelectric units remain out of service for maintenance or breakdowns, and that dozens of distributed generation engines remain inactive due to lack of fuel and lubricants.
Among the main incidents, the state electricity company reports breakdowns in Unit 8 of the Maximo Gomez CTE, Unit 2 of the Felton CTE and Unit 3 of the Antonio Maceo CTE. Likewise, maintenance is carried out on Unit 6 of the CTE Mariel, Units 2 and 3 of the CTE Santa Cruz, and Unit 4 of the CTE Carlos Manuel de Céspedes in Cienfuegos.
Electricity outages exceed 20 hours a day in eastern provinces, while in Havana blackouts reach up to 10 hours a day. The lack of energy also influences the operation of other services such as water and health, which are of vital importance in the midst of the current epidemiological crisis on the Island.
The energy debaclewhich has been dragging on since mid-2024, is due to breakdowns in obsolete thermal power plants, scheduled maintenance, lack of fuel and lubricants, in addition to the paralysis of dozens of distributed generation engines and poor government management.
