Cuban authorities have announced that the shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant in Matanzas will be extended by seven days to continue repair work. The facility was removed from the National Electric System (SEN) due to a breakdown early Wednesday morning. The management of the country's largest power-generating plant stated in a Facebook post that during the upcoming week, technicians will "take advantage of every minute to work on cleaning and maintaining other equipment that also needs it."
As of Thursday, the Guiteras plant had not been reconnected to the National Electric System (SEN) as anticipated, following yet another breakdown that had left the country with reduced electricity generation capacity. Matanzas journalist José Miguel Solís noted that "the night and early morning were particularly difficult times," and that "the problem with the turbine valve regulation could not be resolved at the moment."
In a failed attempt to inject some positivity into a topic that has exhausted Cubans, the journalist mentioned that "the solution will come, perhaps in a few hours or a couple of days," adding that "a break is also necessary to get things done right." In a previous post, Solís had cited statements from Rubén Campos Olmos, the director of the Guiteras plant, saying that progress was being made "in inspecting and resolving the oil system failure that operates the turbine valves," and that within a few hours they would be testing it. If everything was in order, they would proceed with the boiler ignition tasks.
The Antonio Guiteras plant, which has become a symbol of the instability of Cuba's energy system in recent years, went out of service again early Wednesday due to an oil control failure. This incident adds to a long list of technical problems that have plagued the CTE recently.
The Antonio Guiteras plant, located in a key area of high electrical demand, is crucial for mitigating blackouts. However, its inability to operate continuously highlights the deficiencies and lack of proper maintenance in Cuba's energy infrastructure.
Antonio Guiteras Power Plant Shutdown FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions regarding the recent shutdown extension of the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant and its impact on Cuba's energy system.
Why was the shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras plant extended?
The shutdown was extended to allow technicians to continue repair work and perform necessary maintenance on other equipment.
What caused the Antonio Guiteras plant to go out of service?
The plant went out of service due to a breakdown in the oil control system that operates the turbine valves.
How does the shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras plant affect Cuba's energy system?
The shutdown reduces the country's electricity generation capacity, leading to more frequent blackouts and highlighting the system's instability and lack of maintenance.