At the beginning of the 20th century, Cuba had one of the most advanced thermoelectric plants in Latin America: Tallapiedra, which was established by the Spanish American Light and Power Company in 1889.
The plant began generating electricity in 1913 using American technology and Westinghouse single-phase generators. A year later, its iconic neoclassical building, visible from Old Havana, was inaugurated.
Recently, the Cuban YouTuber Yase (@yasevids) dedicated a video to the ruins of this highly valuable industrial heritage building in Cuba.
History of the Tallapiedra Thermal Power Plant
Portusonline points out that the Tallapiedra Thermal Power Plant was built for the Havana Electric Railway, Light and Power Company on land owned by engineer José Tallapiedra, which is how it got its name.
The initial dimensions were 85 meters long, 35 meters wide, 31 meters high, and featured four chimneys that rose 82 meters high, which still allow for its location to be recognized in the city's skyline.
The iconic building of the thermal power plant had windows with a closure system that allowed for the control of ventilation and light coming through the glass into the interior rooms and the electricity generator.
On the waterfront, they built a concrete dock for unloading coal. It also had a continuous elevated conveyor system above the roadway, and the railway directly brought the coal to the boiler area.
Tallapiedra was a pioneer in centralized electricity generation in Cuba, with an initial capacity of 25 MW in 1914, expanded to 50 MW in 1923 and an additional 10 MW in 1945.
In 1957, a 60 MW single-block unit was added, followed by another 64 MW unit in 1972, the latter remaining operational until 2024, despite maintenance challenges and suffering a severe fire in 1990.
The regime took over the plant in the 1960s and renamed it Otto Parellada, in honor of the martyr of the July 26 Movement. However, for the people of Havana, it continued to be known by its original name, Tallapiedra, a symbol of the city's industrial memory.
The passage of time and the ongoing use of its original machinery highlighted the obsolescence of Tallapiedra. The Thermal Power Plant became a noisy and polluting industry, causing discomfort among its neighbors.
In November 2020, the authorities scheduled a major maintenance that was prolonged due to the pandemic and the economic crisis. It was finally reopened and synchronized with the National Electroenergetic System (SEN) in June 2022.
However, since 2024, the plant has ceased operations and is now in ruins. In that area, the two Turkish barges currently operate in the Bay of Havana.
Beyond its role in electricity generation in Cuba, Tallapiedra represents the industrial heritage that marked a peak in the development of Havana in the first half of the 20th century.
Its neoclassical architecture, combined with the technology infrastructure that was once cutting-edge in the region, makes it a testament to the development that occurred in Cuba in earlier times.
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