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The Unit 3 of the Antonio Maceo "Renté" Thermoelectric Power Plant in Santiago de Cuba has synchronized back to the National Electric System (SEN) at 2:53 PM this Tuesday, as confirmed by the Electric Union (UNE) on their social media.
The reactivation of this unit represents a partial relief for eastern Cuba, which has been experiencing long periods of blackouts since the passage of the hurricane Melissa, with entire communities left without electricity for more than 72 consecutive hours.
Renté, one of the country's main power generation plants, had gone offline days earlier due to new breakdowns that significantly affected the stability of the National Electric System (SEN). The UNE reported on Monday that simultaneous failures at several thermoelectric plants had worsened the situation, reducing generation capacity and increasing power outages nationwide.
Although the synchronization of Unit 3 helps to improve the energy outlook in the eastern region, limitations persist, and forecasts indicate that blackouts will continue as long as other plants remain out of service or under maintenance.
The partial resumption of operations at Renté takes place in a particularly tense context, with provinces still devastated by Hurricane Melissa, damage to electrical infrastructure, and thousands of Cubans demanding a quicker restoration of service.
Among the main incidents are failures in Unit 6 of the Máximo Gómez thermoelectric power plant (Mariel), Unit 2 of Felton (Holguín), and Unit 5 of Diez de Octubre (Camagüey). Additionally, Unit 2 of the Santa Cruz thermoelectric power plant and Unit 4 of the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes thermoelectric power plant in Cienfuegos are under maintenance.
According to the report from the UNE on Tuesday, thermal limitations amount to 560 MW out of service, while the fuel shortage keeps 54 distributed generation plants (434 MW) offline, and another 147 MW are halted due to lack of lubricant. In total, 581 MW remain affected by these issues.
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