Amidst a nationwide blackout in Cuba lasting over 15 hours, the Antonio Guiteras thermal power plant in Matanzas, the country's largest, is unable to reconnect to the grid due to a lack of power. "The situation is challenging given the frail state of service restoration and the new failure of the eastern microsystem," admitted Alejandro Rodríguez Aspeitía, the director of the provincial electric company.
Rodríguez Aspeitía further explained that the Energás Varadero plant has been unable to start, pending power from Yaguaramas in Cienfuegos. "The Antonio Guiteras power plant is also waiting to receive energy to reconnect," he emphasized.
Journalist José Miguel Solís reported that after the National Electroenergetic System (SEN) disconnected at 8:15 PM on Friday, workers at the Guiteras plant began corrective actions to prepare for when they receive power. The plant requires approximately 10 MW to initiate the restart process, which is planned for Saturday afternoon.
Engineer Rubén Campos Olmos, the general director of the thermal power plant, explained they are close to completing the cleaning of regenerative air heaters, addressing a critical issue in the boiler, and other necessary tasks. Once the plant is operational—a process taking four to six hours—the goal is to maintain a minimum output of 200 MW.
"Everything depends on receiving power from the microsystems that have been established," Campos Olmos noted. Currently, in Matanzas, four microsystems are operational, providing service to several hospitals in the provincial capital and the municipality of Colón, as well as water pumping units.
FAQs About Cuba's Power Outage and Thermal Plant Challenges
Why is the Antonio Guiteras power plant unable to restart?
The Antonio Guiteras power plant cannot restart due to a lack of energy needed to reconnect to the grid, compounded by the failure of the eastern microsystem.
What measures are being taken to restart the plant?
Workers are performing corrective actions, such as cleaning regenerative air heaters and resolving boiler issues, to prepare for the plant's restart once energy is received.
How long will it take to restart the plant once energy is received?
The restart process is estimated to take four to six hours once the necessary power is supplied.