The Antonio Guiteras thermal power plant, located in the city of Matanzas, could synchronize with the National Electric Power System (SEN) during peak demand hours next Wednesday, provided that the weather conditions are favorable, according to its director, engineer Rubén Campos Olmo.
"We have the people, we have the resources, and we have the will to work day and night. Hopefully, the weather won't play tricks on us," stated Campos Olmo, who emphasized that some jobs are done outdoors and could be affected by inclement weather.
Despite the rain recorded on the morning of this Monday, the work progressed as planned, assured the executive in a radio interview shared on his social media by the official journalist José Miguel Solís.
Currently, the team at the central office is focused on about 400 corrective actions, primarily concerning the boiler. Campos Olmo detailed that tasks such as cleaning the feedwater tank and repairing a leakage in the rotor have already been completed. Additionally, the CARs (regenerative air heaters) have been cleaned, and it is expected to recover approximately 15 megawatts of additional power.
"Although with a little less depth, we are also bypassing the condenser, which will allow us to reduce water consumption," added the director of the largest generating unit in the country.
According to forecasts from the thermoelectric plant, if synchronization is achieved on Wednesday, the plant could contribute nearly 270 megawatts to the national electrical system, which would partially alleviate the energy deficit faced by the country.
In recent days, the Electric Union of Cuba has reported severe blackouts and a deficit exceeding 1,000 megawatts, affecting large areas of the national territory.
The Antonio Guiteras plant was taken offline due to a boiler failure last Saturday. Solís clarified that the plant went out of service at 9:59 AM due to malfunctioning control valves, after being online for 45 days.
According to the communicator, the brigades from the National Company for Maintenance of Power Plants and the local unit in Matanzas would take on the repair of the unexpected malfunction in the thermal machine.
La Guiteras has undergone frequent maintenance in recent months due to recurring breakdowns, which has contributed to the energy crisis affecting the island. On more than one occasion, its failures have led to the complete collapse of the SEN and widespread blackouts across the island.
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