New Chinese Engine Aims to Boost Trinidad Power Plant Amidst Persistent Blackouts

In an effort to restore its operational capacity, the fuel oil power plant in Trinidad, located in the province of Sancti Spíritus, has begun installing a "new" Chinese-made engine. However, this initiative comes at a time when the Cuban government has admitted that blackouts will persist throughout the summer, with no immediate structural solutions in sight.

According to Ernesto Núñez Torrado, the plant's director, the 3.85 megawatt (MW) engine arrived as a replacement part and will be installed by foreign technicians. This was reported by the state-run media outlet Cubadebate on May 23. The equipment features a generator weighing approximately 53 tons and requires modifications to the plant's structural foundations, as well as additional components for integration, which could delay the installation process by over three months.

Currently, Trinidad's plant is functioning at only 50% of its intended capacity, operating with just two engines. The introduction of the new equipment, along with the major repair of another engine of similar power, aims to restore the plant’s original capacity of 15 MW by September, as reported by CentroVisión Yayabo.

In addition to the new engine, support from a battery of diesel generators with matching capacity would bring the total contribution to the provincial system to 30 MW. While this number might seem substantial, it falls significantly short of meeting the entire energy demand of the province, which could exceed 100 MW during peak hours, according to general estimates. Sancti Spíritus, home to nearly 460,000 residents, sees energy consumption divided among households, critical infrastructure, tourism, and industrial sectors.

As a rough guide, 1 MW can supply power to between 800 and 1,000 average households. Thus, the 30 MW generated by this plant might serve approximately 24,000 to 30,000 homes simultaneously, but it cannot ensure a stable power supply on a provincial scale. This power also needs to be allocated to hospitals, industries, schools, and state entities. Ultimately, while this effort provides some relief, it does not address the root issue, and its effect on the national electrical grid is minimal.

The national energy situation remains dire. On May 27, the official newspaper Trabajadores acknowledged that blackouts would continue through July and August, with a daily shortfall exceeding 1,500 MW, as confirmed by Lázaro Guerra Hernández, general director of Electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM).

He detailed that the available generation for the summer would be just 1,935 MW, compared to a projected demand of up to 3,500 MW. This gap will cause daily power outages of at least four hours per customer, although in practice, they are typically longer and more frequent.

In response, the government has unveiled a plan to recover 500 MW over three years, relying on domestic thermal generation and renewable sources. This promise was made on the official Mesa Redonda program, sparking anger and skepticism among citizens both domestically and abroad.

One social media user lamented, “In three years, there won't be a single Cuban with mental health,” while another comment was more blunt: “If they haven’t done it in 65 years, they won’t do it in three.” These reactions highlight the social fatigue stemming from years of unfulfilled promises and the structural collapse of Cuba's electrical system.

While the Trinidad plant offers temporary relief, its production does not directly supply the municipality but rather contributes to the National Electroenergetic System (SEN) and only provides local power in special circumstances, as clarified by the plant's director.

Authorities have emphasized the construction of solar parks and "comprehensive" maintenance of thermoelectric plants, but none of these measures tackle the fundamental issues: technological obsolescence, lack of genuine investment, fuel shortages, and systemic disarray.

Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel has acknowledged the severe state of the electrical system, although he reiterated on social media platform X that overcoming this challenge is "not impossible," once again blaming the U.S. embargo and restricted access to resources.

Meanwhile, Cubans endure nightly blackouts, extreme heat, water shortages, and lack of cooking gas, with no real solutions or certainties on the horizon.