The Unit 1 of the Felton power plant, located in the province of Holguín, resumed operations and synchronized with the National Electric System this Saturday at 3:20 PM after being offline for several days due to a malfunction.
Official spokesperson Emilio Rodriguez Pupo announced on Facebook that the unit is generating 150 MW and gradually increasing its load, which promises to alleviate the power outage crisis that has affected a large part of Cuba in recent days.
The restart of Felton's operations comes after a boiler breakdown occurred on Thursday, which took the plant out of service and caused significant interruptions in the electricity supply, especially in the eastern region of the country. The malfunction was due to a "puncture" in the tubes on the left side wall of the boiler, just over three meters high.
The situation was particularly critical as the defect caused a frequency trip that affected the 5545 line, impacting the circuits in the municipality of Bartolomé Masó and the La Curva Substation in Granma. This led the Granma Electric Company to announce unplanned service disruptions, with six-hour power cuts followed by three hours of service, depending on the availability of power generation in the country.
Repair Efforts and Successful Restart
By Friday, work on the boiler was in full swing, with hopes that the unit could resume operations the next day. Technicians worked intensively to repair the damaged tubes and perform the necessary replacement or welding operations, according to official information.
The National Electric Union (UNE) had announced that if all went well, the plant would be operational by Saturday. This effort culminated successfully with the return to service of Unit 1, under the supervision of Jorge Luis Rodríguez Guerra, delegate of the Popular Power of constituency 54 of the Primero de Enero district in Mayarí, who led the team of operators on shift B.
Amid the energy crisis, the restart of Unit 1 at Felton represents a significant relief for the Cuban population, which has suffered prolonged power outages due to the lack of generation capacity.
On Thursday, power cuts due to generation capacity shortages extended for 24 hours, with nearly 1,000 MW of deficit during peak hours, affecting more than a third of the island.
Impact and Future of Cuba's Power Grid
Given the recent events with the Felton power plant, here are some frequently asked questions regarding the impact and future of Cuba's power grid.
What caused the breakdown at the Felton power plant?
The breakdown was caused by a puncture in the tubes on the left side wall of the boiler, just over three meters high.
How did the malfunction at Felton affect the power supply in Cuba?
The malfunction led to significant interruptions in the electricity supply, especially in the eastern region of the country, causing unplanned power cuts and affecting more than a third of the island.
Who supervised the repair efforts at Felton?
The repair efforts were supervised by Jorge Luis Rodríguez Guerra, delegate of the Popular Power of constituency 54 of the Primero de Enero district in Mayarí.