On Saturday, Cuban authorities revealed that the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant has initiated the process of lighting its boiler, which is the first essential step before it can be synchronized with the National Electric System (SEN). According to the local state-run newspaper, Girón, in Matanzas, the boiler was ignited at 3:45 a.m.
“All maintenance work has been completed. After the boiler is lit, the unit begins a slow startup process," explained Román Pérez Castañeda, the technical director of the Guiteras Plant, to Girón. If everything proceeds without any hitches, the synchronization with the SEN is expected to occur around 2:00 p.m.,” the official added.
Earlier that week, the country's most significant power plant was taken offline from the SEN for what authorities described as "planned maintenance."
Another Day of Power Outages in Cuba
Despite the anticipated re-entry of the Guiteras plant into the SEN, the Electricity Union (UNE) announced that Cuba continues to grapple with a severe energy deficit. At 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, the SEN's available capacity was merely 1810 MW, while the demand reached 2840 MW, resulting in a capacity shortfall of 1089 MW. By midday, an estimated shortfall of 1040 MW was expected.
Significant issues within the system include the breakdown of unit 2 at the Felton thermoelectric plant, along with maintenance activities on four other generating units at Santa Cruz, Cienfuegos, Guiteras, and Renté plants. Additionally, the UNE reported 397 MW unavailable due to thermal limitations and a critical shortfall due to a lack of fuel, leaving 65 distributed generation plants inactive, losing approximately 458 MW.
During the evening peak, a partial recovery is predicted with the Guiteras plant (200 MW) coming online, the return of unit 6 at the Nuevitas plant (100 MW), and the recovery of 70 MW from diesel plants currently halted due to fuel shortages. Despite these efforts, the expected availability will be 2180 MW against a peak demand of 3350 MW, leading to a deficit of 1170 MW. The UNE anticipates an impact of up to 1240 MW during this period.
Additionally, the country’s 11 new photovoltaic solar parks contributed 1131 megawatt-hours (MWh) to the system, a contribution that remains insufficient to mitigate the overall deficit.
Understanding Cuba’s Energy Challenges
Why is the Guiteras Power Plant important for Cuba's energy system?
The Guiteras Power Plant is crucial as it is one of the largest and most significant energy-producing facilities in Cuba. Its synchronization with the National Electric System is essential for meeting the country's energy demands.
What are the main causes of power outages in Cuba?
The primary causes include breakdowns in key power units, maintenance activities, thermal limitations, and significant fuel shortages impacting the operation of distributed generation plants.