The energy crisis affecting Cuba intensified this Tuesday with the sudden shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Power Plant in Matanzas, one of the main pillars of the National Electric System (SEN).
The breakdown, which occurred at 5:55 a.m. due to a false signal in the turbine's automatic protection system, has intensified the daily blackouts that the population was already facing.
According to confirmation this morning from the official journalist Bernardo Espinosa from the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) and the General Director of Electricity, Lázaro Guerra, the unit is currently in the startup process after the fault was identified and corrected.
However, they warned that, as is the case with any unexpected shutdown, the restart of the block presents uncertainties that require monitoring the system's behavior throughout the entire day.
“Guiteras has begun its startup process. The cause of the shutdown was identified as a false signal, and the ignition has started again,” Guerra detailed in the morning news segment.
Impact from generation deficit
The shutdown of the Guiteras, along with other issues in thermal and distributed generation, has led to a scenario of operational collapse in the SEN.
According to information provided on its website, the state-owned company reported that at 7:00 a.m., the availability was 1,590 MW, compared to a demand of 2,755 MW, resulting in a deficit of 1,236 MW just halfway through the day.
For the evening peak hours, the projections are even more concerning: a capacity of only 1,870 MW is estimated against a demand of 3,400 MW, with a potential shortfall that could reach 1,600 MW, should the Guiteras fail to successfully rejoin the system.
For its part, the Electric Company of Havana published on Facebook its blackout schedule for this Tuesday, indicating block outages affecting nearly the entire day and possible additional rotations after midnight:
- B4: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- B5: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- B2: 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- B3: 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
- B1: 8:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
In addition to the Guiteras, other units are out of service due to breakdowns or maintenance: unit 5 of the CTE Mariel, unit 2 of Santa Cruz, unit 4 of Cienfuegos, unit 6 of Diez de Octubre, unit 5 of Renté, and unit 6 of Nuevitas. The latter is expected to return to the system on June 21.
Recurring failures and technical stoppages without a date
The situation at Guiteras is not an isolated incident. On May 23, the plant also went offline due to a malfunction in the regenerative air heater, caused by the interruption of the alternating current motor.
Despite its repair, the startup process extended for several hours, causing a chain reaction affecting the national system.
As if that weren't enough, the plant has a scheduled technical shutdown of 72 hours to repair its high-temperature reheater, as confirmed by its management a few days ago.
At the moment, no specific date has been announced, as this will depend on the "availability of the electrical system," a statement that only increases uncertainty and discontent among Cubans.
Overconsumption of water and unfulfilled promises
The technical problems are compounded by the increasing overconsumption of freshwater from the plant, which has reached 50 cubic meters per hour, directly affecting the water supply to the city of Matanzas, according to a report on Facebook by the official journalist José Miguel Solís.
The installation of a desalination plant is presented as a long-term solution, but its implementation depends on financing that has yet to be secured.
A summer without respite
With temperatures exceeding 33 degrees Celsius, insufficient energy support, and a national system on the brink of collapse, the start of summer in Cuba is shaping up to be a season of prolonged blackouts, unbearable heat, and popular outrage.
Without a clear timeline, without structural solutions, and with a population increasingly exhausted by the lack of electricity, the Guiteras symbolizes not only the fragility of the Cuban electrical system but also the government's inability to guarantee essential basic services.
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