A widespread blackout swept across several Cuban provinces on Thursday night, triggered by a malfunction at the Lidio Ramón Pérez Thermoelectric Plant, commonly referred to as Felton, located in Holguín. According to a brief statement from the Electric Union, the incident occurred at 7:33 PM when Block 1 of the facility automatically shut down, halting its operations.
This disruption at the thermoelectric plant led to a significant drop in power generation, resulting in electricity service outages across various parts of the country. The Felton plant has faced multiple disconnections from the National Electric System (SEN) throughout the year. In October 2024, Unit 1 was taken offline for an unavoidable 10-day maintenance, primarily focusing on the boiler.
Earlier in May, the same unit was out of service for 25 days due to "scheduled maintenance." Additionally, in August, the plant was disconnected from the system due to a boiler "puncture," although details regarding the repair duration were not provided.
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Understanding Cuba's Power Outage Crisis
What caused the power outage in Cuba?
The power outage was caused by a malfunction at the Lidio Ramón Pérez Thermoelectric Plant, leading to an automatic shutdown of Block 1.
How has the Felton plant been performing this year?
The Felton plant has experienced several interruptions from the National Electric System due to maintenance and operational issues throughout the year.
What maintenance was performed on Unit 1 of the Felton plant?
In October 2024, Unit 1 underwent a 10-day maintenance focused primarily on the boiler.