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The Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant finally synchronized with the National Electric System (SEN) this Sunday at 6:03 AM, after being out of service for four days due to a malfunction.
According to the Unión Eléctrica (UNE), the plant in Matanzas is now online and ramping up production, which would allow for the recovery of approximately 200 MW of generation.
"6:03 am, CTE Antonio Guiteras online, currently in the process of gradually increasing output. The thermal block returns to Base Generation after the malfunction has been resolved. 200 MW are being recovered," states the note published on Facebook.
The authorities announced on Saturday that the power plant could start operating that night, but it wasn't possible until this morning.
La Guiteras, the largest electricity generation unit in the country, has been under repair since Wednesday, when it unexpectedly went offline and caused a massive blackout nationwide.
In a post shared on Saturday, it was reported that the technical work was progressing and that the recovery process was already in its final stage, but restoration was not achieved by the expected date.
Last Wednesday, a failure at Guiteras caused the disconnection of the National Electrical System from Camagüey to Pinar del Río, according to the Electric Union (UNE).
Initially, it was thought that the repair could take at least 72 hours.
According to Román Pérez Castañeda, the technical director of the plant, the breakage of a pipe in the lower area of the boiler caused a water leak, loss of gas tightness, and a fire that was quickly controlled by the firefighters, with no additional major damages reported.
The UNE indicated that the process of recovering the national electrical system would occur gradually, using technical protocols aimed at synchronizing the generation plants again and restoring the electrical grid in the country.
This new failure at the Guiteras occurs amid a profound energy crisis that leaves much of the country under prolonged blackouts.
Additionally, the electrical system has been operating with a significant generation deficit, which has forced the implementation of service cuts in numerous provinces.
The situation reflects years of technical deficiencies, lack of investment, and insufficient maintenance that have turned the SEN into a system highly vulnerable to any malfunction.
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