The Carlos Manuel de Céspedes thermal power plant in Cienfuegos has been completely disconnected from the national electric power system for intensive maintenance.
This is one of the rare occasions when the thermal power plant in Cienfuegos, known for its stability, simultaneously disconnects both of its units, as explained by official journalist Bernardo Espinoza in a report from the National Television News (NTV).
"The power plant without generation, undergoing intensive maintenance, is an unusual situation. Authorities assert that over the past 40 years, one of the two units of the thermal power station has always been operational, except for brief moments," the journalist stated, noting that the last total disconnection of the CTE occurred on Sunday, October 20, when a significant breakdown in Unit 3 took place.
This unit suffered a significant malfunction in its turbine following the system failure on October 18, explained José Osvaldo González Rodríguez, general director of the CTE, stating that the "comprehensive technological intervention" being carried out aims to "restore the design parameters and regulate the system frequencies."
The priority is to first complete the repairs on Unit 3, which involves cleaning the ducts and removing sediments and mussels that are affecting the flow of seawater essential for cooling.
Meanwhile, Unit 4 is undergoing a more extensive intervention, with substantial maintenance work on key components such as the economizer, heat exchangers, and the turbine. This operation includes the replacement of critical parts to ensure a reliable and sustainable return to the national electric system, the executive noted.
Shortly after the total collapse of the National Electric System (SEN) that occurred between October 18 and 20—which led to the malfunction of the Unit 3 turbine—the Cuban Electric Union (UNE) announced that the issue with block 4 had been resolved, without specifying the nature of the problem, its causes, or the repairs that needed to be carried out. By the end of April, this block had undergone extensive maintenance for 35 days.
The current maintenance and the expected deadlines
"We have all the logistical support to ensure that the work in those blocks can be completed," assured González Rodríguez, although he could not specify the expected date for finishing the maintenance.
In addition to the "cleaning actions," the technicians will seek to resolve "all the issues that arose with the turbine" of Unit 3, which is the priority. Once these problems are addressed, the UNE technicians will move on to the actions in the other unit.
"A capitalizable maintenance of the boiler will be carried out; the heat exchangers, superheaters, reheaters, economizer, part of the primary superheater will be replaced, and the turbine will also be addressed," González Rodríguez explained, without detailing the action schedule.
Jesús Cáceres Abreu, an employee of the maintenance company of the CTE, said to the state journalist: “We are facing the situation head-on. We are really working hard on this part of the burners. It’s been years since these two units have been out of commission like this. But we will get them up and running again.” There’s a lot of conviction, but no planning.
"It cannot be completed in a shorter timeframe due to the complexity of the tasks, the technical rigor involved, and the scale of the work… However, there is no doubt about the commitment of this team, there is a commitment from all the workers currently on-site that these two units will be operational, will operate reliably, will function stably, and will deliver their full nominal power of 158 MW in each block, totaling 316 MW," concluded González Rodríguez, leaving the completion date in suspense.
The CTE of Cienfuegos and its role in the country's electricity generation
The Carlos Manuel de Céspedes thermoelectric plant has been a cornerstone of the Cuban electrical system since its inauguration more than four decades ago (the average lifespan of diesel-powered generating units is about 30 years).
In 2017, it underwent repairs that lasted nearly a year, aimed at modernizing its infrastructure and maintaining operational capacity. In 2018, significant technological advancements were implemented to enhance its efficiency at a cost of 145 million pesos. The CTE has two Hitachi generators using Japanese technology.
However, in October 2024, Unit 3 was taken offline due to a turbine malfunction, leading to a series of blackouts in several provinces. Subsequently, in November, Unit 4 also experienced technical failures that impacted the electricity supply in Havana and other regions.
The resolution of the latest breakdown at the beginning of November partially eased the energy crisis; however, the current simultaneous disconnection of both units poses a significant technical and logistical challenge, which raises uncertainty regarding their full reintegration into the national electricity system. Consequently, this also increases the anxiety of Cubans who are unsure when they will finally see light at the end of the tunnel.
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