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The Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Power Plant (CTE) completed the cooling of its boiler this Wednesday and is preparing for tests that will determine the actual extent of the damages, according to an update posted on Facebook by the plant itself.
The plant, located in Matanzas and the main individual generator in Cuba, was disconnected from the National Electric System on Tuesday at 9:12 AM due to a boiler breakdown, resulting in a loss of 140 MW in an already strained system.
According to the official statement, "hydraulic and pneumatic tests will be conducted soon, which are the tests performed to rule out any damage to the boiler."
The hydraulic test uses pressurized water to detect cracks or leaks, while the pneumatic test uses compressed air to verify the integrity of the components.
The CTE reported that "by 3:00 PM, a diagnosis of the detected defects should be ready, allowing us to begin repair work."
Until that diagnosis is known, there is no specific date for a return to service.
The plant operates with a specialized workforce in 24-hour shifts to minimize downtime, according to the statement: "Work will be conducted around the clock in order to avoid losing time and to be able to start as soon as possible once the jobs are completed."
This is the eighth outage of the Guiteras power plant so far in 2026, and its effects are immediately felt across the island. Power outages surged after the shutdown of Guiteras, with a forecasted deficit of 1,720 MW for the peak night load this Wednesday and an estimated impact of 1,750 MW.
The most recent precedent is concerning. In February 2026, a hydraulic test detected a defect in the "Nodriza" of the boiler and significantly delayed the start-up of the plant, an episode that rendered the thermoelectric plant out of service for longer than initially expected.
The crisis is worsening due to fuel shortages: the Russian oil that alleviated blackouts in Cuba has run out at the end of April, and there is no confirmed date for a second shipment.
La Guiteras, inaugurated in 1988 and with a nominal capacity of between 250 and 340 MW, contributes between 20% and 25% of the national thermal generation, but has never received major maintenance in its more than 36 years of operation.
Paradoxically, just a week before this new breakdown, the CTE Guiteras received the National Vanguard distinction for the fifth time, an acknowledgment that was met with widespread discontent among Cubans suffering from power outages.
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