The Thermoelectric Power Plant (CTE) Antonio Guiterasthe largest and most efficient unitary bloc in Cuba, left this Monday from National Electric System (SEN) due to a breakdown in the boiler area, according to official media on the island.
The plant, located in the western province of killingshad managed to synchronize with the SEN in the early hours of this same Monday and reach a generation of 180 megawatts for approximately five hours, as reported the Cuban News Agency (ACN).
Misbel Palmero Aguilar, general director of the thermoelectric plant, explained that specialists from Mexico, the province of Holguín and the CTE Guiteras itself had managed to restore functionality to a series of elements that affect the correct electrical operation and that had been affected by the collapse of the SEN last Tuesday after the passage of Hurricane Ian.
However, this new failure ruins that work and increases the tensions of the Cuban electrical system, affected for months by continuous failures in its generating plants and, moreover, is now suffering the effects of the hurricane.
According to the manager, currently the cooling time in the boiler is met, which can reach 36 hours, and later they will prepare to make the definitive diagnosis of the fault. Refers the ACN that the installation is preparing to carry out around 60 tasks in parallel with the repair of the boiler and that the estimated interruption time is four days.
Palmero Aguilar assured that in the Matanzas CTE “the necessary human resources” to carry out the action plan and, if warranted, more support will be requested from the brigades of the Power Plant Maintenance Company (EMCE).
Among its advantages, this unit includes being located in the western part of the country, where the largest electrical loads are concentrated, as well as consuming national crude oil by pipeline, without the need for transportation expenses.
Prior to the disconnection of the Guiteras, the Electric Union (UNE) had predicted for this Monday a generation deficit of 300 megawatts during daytime hours, mainly due to the seven generating units out of service, among which was not the guiteras.
In this way, the forecast deficit for the night peak hour that had been set at around 604 megawatts —110 of them related to the damage caused by Hurricane Ian— will be greater than programmed, since it was said that at that time the Guiteras would have reached the delivery of 230 MW to the system, according to the information note released by the UNE on its social networks.
According to the electricity entity, in addition to the CTE Guiteras, units 6 and 7 of the CTE Mariel, the CTE unit Otto Parellada, unit 3 of the CTE Santa Cruz, unit 4 of the CTE Nuevitas, unit 2 of CTE Felton and unit 4 of CTE Renté.
In addition, unit 3 of the CTE Renté is undergoing maintenance, so the limitations in thermal generation of around 577 MW are maintained. Regarding distributed generation, 1,082 MW are unavailable due to breakdown and 667 MW are undergoing maintenance.
