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The Antonio Guiteras Thermal Power Plant (CTE) synchronized with the National Electroenergy System (SEN) at 11:06 p.m. this Sunday, following four days of repairs, as confirmed by the Electric Union on its official channels.
After the synchronization, the Matanzas plant reached 200 MW of generation, as detailed by its general director, Román Pérez Castañeda, to the Periódico Girón.
La Guiteras had gone offline from the SEN last Wednesday due to a leak in the boiler, specifically a malfunction in the economizer, which triggered blackouts from Ciego de Ávila to Guantánamo.
Pérez Castañeda explained that "the main feature of this stop was the resolution of the breakdowns we have experienced in the last three service outings."
During the four-day shutdown, repairs were carried out on the high-temperature reheater (RAT), where a failed tube was detected that required four weld passes.
In the economizer, as detailed by the director, "two failed tubes were found, which required four weld seams; while in the inspection of the oven floor, a failure in the sealing was highlighted, which necessitated the welding repair of the seal and the refractory casting of that area."
Actions were also carried out on the regenerative air heaters (CAR), where elements with mechanical looseness were secured with tightened screws and weld points, in addition to over 200 additional activities, including preventive maintenance in preparation for cyclones and rains.
The director acknowledged that accessing the boiler posed a greater challenge than usual: "The breakdown due to the economizer prevented water from circulating, as it all flowed out through the damaged area, which slowed down the processes."
Despite the difficulties, the unit synchronized within the planned timeframe, which Pérez Castañeda attributed to "the discipline and dedication of the workers involved in the repair."
This was the ninth departure of the Guiteras from SEN so far in 2026, amid a context of extreme energy crisis: on May 13, Cuba recorded a record deficit of 2,153 MW and the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, publicly admitted that the country was "out of fuel" in a situation "acute, critical, and extremely tense."
The reactivation of the Guiteras does not resolve the structural crisis of the Cuban electrical system: according to the informative note from the Unión Eléctrica this Monday, the SEN projects a peak hour deficit of 2,050 MW and an impact of 2,080 MW, while other units remain out of service due to breakdowns at the Ernesto Guevara, Lidio Ramón Pérez, and Antonio Maceo plants.
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