Madrid/The conclusions of the report of the Ministry of Energy and Mines are devastating. During the month of July, the daily average of hours without light in Cuba was 15 hours and 50 minutes. In August, the tiny improvement, left 14 hours and 54 minutes. They are official data that corroborate the daily suffering of the Cubans, whose maximum current concern are the electricity cuts. In an appearance before the press on Monday, Lázaro Guerra Hernández, general director of Electricity, also insisted that the figure only reflects the average, since “there were circuits that went out more time.”
The official, who is also an engineer, gave explanations of the disconnection of the electrical system in the eastern zone this Sunday, which occurred when the bad weather aggravated the situation of a generation that was already very low at that time. “A line was already disregarded by high voltage in the region, and the storm caused the service output of the second line of 220 kV. This generated a transfer cut, separating the eastern zone from the rest of the country.”
The fault, which included the untimely departure of Unit 6 in Mariel, was resolved around 1:25 in the morning, but the problems are far from finishing. “Currently the system operates stable,” he said, “although a generation capacity deficit persists that had already been predicted.”
It is the usual tonic on the island. The appearance of Lázaro Guerra served to take stock of what happened this summer, which marked another critical point for electricity generation in Cuba. The manager argued that July and August had been the months with the greatest energy consumption in the country’s history. The coincidence of high temperatures with devices that increasingly demand greater consumption puts a dying electrical system to which all the plans announced in winter serve.
“Currently the system operates stable,” he said, “although a generation capacity deficit persists that had already been predicted”
Guerra Hernández recalled that for this year a strategy had been designed to start the summer “in the best possible conditions”, a plan that was long offered by the Minister of the Ramo, Vicente de la O Levy, in an interview released by the newspaper Granma In four deliveries last March. One of the most important points was thermal energy, considered basic for the government because the centrals feed on national crude. However, the schedule – as usual – has failed again for the comings and goings of thermoelectric plants that have overcome, long, their useful life.
He explained it clearly at the press conference on Monday Alfredo López Valdés, general director of the Electric Union of Cuba (UNE). “When you start disarming, you start finding problems that you didn’t originally foresee,” he warned. The most prominent case is that of Unit 2 of CTE Ernesto Guevara, located in Santa Cruz del Norte (Mayabeque). The manager tells that it was planned to manufacture a new economizer for the boiler, but it was quickly discovered that it was also necessary to make an overheating and an overheating.
Although components were taken to the factory and the help of Chinese welders “maintenance has spread more than expected,” he said.
Another of the paradigmatic cases is that of Unit 4 of Céspedes, whose maintenance revealed a defect in the tubes manufactured between 2019 and 2020. “Although the welds had certification, the appropriate technical treatment was not performed at the time,” admitted López Valdés.
The production planned in thermoelectric plants was 27 gigawatts per hour daily, but in July it was only reached 23, mainly due to the recurring problems of the Antonio Guiteras Center, in Matanzas. “A GWH stopped producing is equivalent more or less than an hour of average affectation to all the dumpable circuits of the country,” said Guerra, who adds that it did not work as expected by Unit 5 of Renté (in Santiago de Cuba). Although in August there was a slight improvement, 1 GWh was generated for more.
It was not fulfilled, in addition, the provisions of the distributed generation and here the hecatombe was greater. Of the 9.8 GWH planned, it was barely reached 2.8 in July and 5.8 in August. Now, said the director of the UNE, work has been carried out that allowed to recover more than 1,000 MW, including in the five largest turbines in the country, although the problem is still in the drop in imported fuel, despite the fact that the shipments of Mexican crude They have supposed a slight relief in the middle of the scarce Venezuelan oil, which now appears with droppers.
Now, said the director of the UNE, work has been carried out that allowed to recover more than 1,000 MW, including in the five largest turbines in the country, although the problem is still in the drop in imported fuel
That same problem influenced the mobile generation: 10.2 GWH planned, 8.9 GWh were achieved. In August, with the exit, on day 6from the Turkish Patana Suheyla Sultanthe amount went to 6.4 GWh. Two floating centrals are maintained in the country, delivering about 70 megawatts (MW) per day. Although managers did not clarify what they are, it is the Erol Beylocated in order and produces 63 MW, and the Belgin Sultanwhich is in the port of Havana and whose function is above all logistics, although it has production capacity of up to 15 MW.
As for the great hope of the Government, the renewables, the situation marches as planned, but is even more than insufficient. At the moment, 29 of the 51 solar parks projected for this year have been synchronized, which at noon contribute 500 MW. However, this energy is “intermittent, so four battery accumulation systems have been hired to stabilize the system,” they explained. This technology – which allows accumulating and releasing what is produced – will be installed in the substation of Cueto in Holguín, Bayamo in Granma, and Cotorro and La Cuaje, in Havana. “It is a huge investment,” they said.
After the failure of almost all forecasts and that the director of the UNE recognized that “the situation is very hard” and serious, Guerra Hernández stressed that the electrical workers – one of them who died Monday in a work accident – are committed despite being less and less. “The fight has not lacked, the work has not lacked,” he said.
