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The Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric power plant, the largest single unit in the Cuban electrical system, is operating at the limit of its capacity after more than 15 years without major maintenance, and its own director acknowledges that the country's situation does not allow for the shutdown that the plant urgently needs.
Thus, recognized Román Pérez Castañeda: «La Guiteras needs a major overhaul of at least 180 days, the last it received was in 2010, but the country's situation still does not allow for it».
That capital maintenance was promised for the end of 2025, but in December of that year, the Minister of Energy, Vicente de la O Levy, postponed it, citing a "temporary issue."
In April 2026, after another breakdown, it was promised again without a specific date.
Meanwhile, the maintenance teams are making short stops to expedite the 520 planned repair interventions.
The most recent one lasted 90 hours, from May 6 to 9, and focused on repairing damaged coils of the high-temperature reheater.
The working conditions are extreme: shifts of up to 14 consecutive hours, welding inside the boiler at a temperature of 60 degrees and at a height of 150 meters.
“Inside the boiler, the heat is unbearable; it’s a job that eventually takes its toll on you, but I have no regrets,” declared Norberto Padrón Ramos, a supervisor with 38 years of experience who participated in the major maintenance of the plant in 2004.
After 90 hours of downtime, the Guiteras restarted cold in the early hours of May 9 and managed to reach between 200 and 210 megawatts of generation, well below the 270 MW it could provide under optimal conditions.
It was the eighth outage of the National Electric System from the plant so far in 2026.
Director Castañeda also warned about the impact of U.S. sanctions, which complicate the purchase of spare parts and the hiring of foreign technical advice: "This is a direct blow to the national energy sector; they force us to fit through the eye of a needle to find solutions, and that's not ideal."
The deterioration of the Guiteras directly exacerbates the energy crisis affecting millions of Cubans. On May 12, Cuba recorded a maximum impact of 2,113 MW, the highest of the year, with a mere availability of 1,200 MW against a demand of 2,860 MW.
May solidifies as the most critical month of 2026, surpassing the previous record of 2,075 MW set in March.
The plant, inaugurated in 1988 in Matanzas, has accumulated 38 years of continuous operation with a thorough review that international technical standards recommend every seven to eight years.
Castañeda summarizes it without euphemisms: "As a rule, we avoid stopping unless absolutely necessary, in order to not affect electricity generation, but this type of maintenance is essential."
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