The Cuban government announced the rehabilitation of Block 2 of the Felton Thermoelectric Power Plant in Mayarí, Holguín, five years after a fire halted its operations, with the promise that it will be ready by the end of 2027 or early 2028.
Erick Milanés Quinzán, the general director of the plant, announced that the repair of Block 2 will begin in May 2025 and will follow a schedule of two and a half years, projecting its completion for late 2027, more than five years after the fire that rendered it out of service, reported the official outlet CubaDebate.
Milanés confirmed that almost all the boiler structures are already in the country, and the arrival of the last necessary supplies is expected next month.
These components will be manufactured at the Paco Cabrera Metal Structures Factory (Metunas), while the pipes contracted from abroad will facilitate the assembly of the boiler components, which will be carried out according to a detailed schedule.
He optimistically noted that it is expected to secure the necessary funding by the end of this year to acquire the remaining elements and equipment needed, which will ensure a assembly sequence that allows for the future synchronization of the unit with the National Electric Power System (SEN).
Furthermore, he stated that this project represents a crucial investment for the country, as the plant, inaugurated in 2001, is the power station with the highest installed capacity in Cuba.
Block 2 of Felton experienced a fire in 2022 while attempting to rejoin the National Electric System after a partially capitalizable repair.
This incident severely affected the boiler, taking out of service a unit that was supposed to provide 240 MW to the national electrical system during a critical moment of energy demand, which later intensified and led to one of the largest energy crises the country has experienced in 60 years.
Although the government promises to deliver the rehabilitation on time, past delays and technical difficulties in similar projects create skepticism about the feasibility of the announced deadlines.
However, the expectation remains that once the process is completed, Felton's unit 2 will resume operation as a key pillar for electricity generation on the island.
In October, unit 1 of the Felton thermoelectric plant went offline from the national electric system for "partial maintenance," as reported by the entity on its Facebook profile.
"The 'Lidio Ramón Pérez' Felton ETE has begun to reduce its load for partial maintenance. The main work will focus on the boiler," the announcement specified, which did not provide details on how long the thermoelectric plant, located in Mayarí, Holguín province, is expected to remain out of the National Electric System (SEN).
Cuba's Electric Union (UNE) specified in the scheduled blackout notice for October 29 that the "urgent" maintenance of Felton will last for 10 days.
However, as of November 11, the CTE was generating 220 MW, as reported by the entity itself on Facebook.
The Felton Thermoelectric Power Plant, along with the Guiteras Power Plant, is one of the fundamental pillars of Cuba's National Electroenergetic System (SEN). However, the Guiteras Power Plant, which was scheduled to come online this Sunday, had to disconnect again to make technical adjustments.
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