HAVANA, Cuba, Jul 14 (ACN) The synchronization to the National Grid (SEN) of the power plants (CTE) Lidio Ramón Pérez, in Felton, province of Holguín, on July 9, and Antonio Guiteras, in the province of Matanzas, on July 13 (ahead of schedule), stands as encouraging news at a crucial moment for the Cuban nation.
The annoying power outages throughout most of the country, caused by breakdowns in those and other plants and in the distribution system, as well as by the significant increase in demand during these summer days, were the alleged triggers of the riots promoted in several cities and towns by the enemies of the Revolution, in the midst of the fight against COVID-19.
“We had no blackouts for over a year and a half, except for those caused by breakdowns in the distribution systems of the national grid,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said during a recent TV appearance.
“Although some find it hard to understand, the criminal economic, commercial and financial siege of the United States against Cuba has hindered the purchase of the spare parts we need to carry out capital maintenance on the CTEs, most of which have been in operation for several decades,” he added. “When fuel supplies are not timely available, these plants experience a generation overload.”
Although the Felton and Guiteras power plants are already repaired, the start-up process, in itself slow, is done in stages, and this means that the synchronization to the SEN is gradual. As the largest and most efficient plant of its kind in Cuba, the latter can generate some 300 megawatts (mw), whereas the eastern plant has the capacity to produce 180 mw.
According to Minister of Energy and Mines Liván Arronte Cruz, these two large units together will be able to contribute more than 500 mw the national energy system in the coming weeks; therefore, the situation will gradually improve.
The President reported that Cuba keeps working on wind and photovoltaic parks as part of a whole program of energy investments.
“Although the prospects for improvement are good,” he said, “we have to save electric power and fuel responsibly, both in the residential and state sectors, as the National Electric Union (UNE) keeps engaged in maintenance and repair works, which they will finish as soon as possible.”
The workers at Guiteras and Felton, with the support of the Ministries of Energy and Mines and of Construction, have just carried out a feat of extraordinary importance and made it possible for us to start seeing the light despite what some people are trying to do with their counterrevolutionary provocations.
