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The Electric Union of Cuba (UNE) reported that the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant in Matanzas was taken offline this Thursday at 12:12 p.m. to carry out preventive maintenance work.
According to the state company on its official Facebook account, the technical shutdown will last approximately 96 hours, during which scheduled maintenance work will be carried out on the generating unit.
The Antonio Guiteras, regarded as the country's main thermoelectric plant and the most powerful unit block, has experienced continuous breakdowns and outages in recent years, which has contributed to the deterioration of the already fragile national electricity generation capacity.
This temporary cold spell coincides with a drop in temperatures in the western and central regions of the country, which is considered a "favorable" circumstance as it reduces energy demand on the coldest days.
Although the company presented the shutdown as part of a preventive maintenance plan, the situation occurs against a backdrop of extreme vulnerability of the Cuban electrical system, characterized by fuel shortages and the poor technical condition of several generating units.
Additionally, citizen reports have indicated that in recent days, some areas in Cuba have experienced power outages lasting more than 40 consecutive hours.
With an installed capacity of nearly 250 megawatts, the Antonio Guiteras power plant is the mainstay of thermal generation in Cuba.
Any prolonged interruption in its operation directly impacts the stability of the electrical service and the frequency of power outages in the country.
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