Electric Union links generation between Matanzas and Holguín: "Today will be decisive"

In the midst of the chaos unleashed by the total collapse of the national electro-energy system (SEN), the Electric Company of Holguín reported that they have managed to interconnect the circuits supplying electricity from the province of Matanzas to that of Holguín.

"In this minute, an interconnected system has been established between Matanzas and Holguín, whose fundamental bases are the CTE Guiteras, Energás Varadero, unit 5 of Nuevitas, and distributed generation," reported the state-owned company from Holguín on its social media.

According to their report, the Electric Union of Cuba (UNE) is now working "to energize the grid in the western zone, starting from the startup of Energás Boca de Jaruco, to reach the floating plants in Havana and the thermoelectric plant in Mariel."

For his part, the general director of Electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM), Lázaro Guerra Hernández, described this Sunday’s event as "decisive in extending electricity coverage."

In his daily appearance to update the situation of the SEN, the executive assured that the largest thermoelectric plant in the country, the Antonio Guiteras in Matanzas, is now operational and “online” after its unexpected shutdown last Friday, which led to the widespread blackout that UNE has still not managed to resolve.

“It is gradually increasing the load to avoid triggering the central system,” said Guerra Hernández from the Guiteras, a key power plant in the Island's electrical infrastructure. The executive added that “the vital circuits continue to be prioritized.”

The official journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso explained on his social media that "starting with the entry of Guiteras, the strategy of the UNE is to carry current from Matanzas to the rest of the west, [which] also includes restarting the Mariel units, the floating generation of that locality, and the fuel groups."

"It has been possible to link the generation from Matanzas to Holguín. In the coming hours, Energás Boca de Jaruco and the floating generation from Havana will join to begin consolidating electricity in the West," Alonso added in his post, in which he did not mention the protests that took place on Saturday night in various parts of the capital.

The situation in Eastern Cuba, where protests by the population were also reported this Saturday, presents a similarly uncertain panorama. "Unit 6 of the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant is already generating, and efforts are focused on connecting Moa with Renté."

"There is fuel in all the floating plants and distributed generation," the journalist added lastly.

After two failed attempts to restore the SEN, this Sunday a ray of hope reopens for the customers of the Electric Company of Havana, which reported on its social media that six substations are now operational: Diezmero, Berroa, Regla, Naranjito, Apolo, and San Miguel; and that 24 circuits are now in service with 45.3MW.