Since the beginning of the current month, new technological affectations and breakdowns in thermal generation and that distributed in several power plants cause limitations to this important service; However, the Cuban State prioritizes it in the midst of deficiencies caused by the pandemic and the US economic blockade.
The current situation and prospects in this branch of the economy and the contingency measures adopted were mentioned on Thursday at the Informative Roundtable by Liván Arronte Cruz, Minister of Energy and Mines (Minem), and directors of the Electricity Union.
In just one month, Cuba spends between 150 and 200 million dollars to import all the fuel from the national electricity system (SEN), said the head of the organization, in addition to specifying that 40.6 percent of generation corresponds to thermoelectric plants ( CTE) existing in the country, with a total of 20 blocks in operation.
Most of these accumulate between 30 or 40 years of exploitation and face technological limitations, as well as the lack of replacement of many of their equipment, which has led to a decrease in their technical availability.
The head of MINEM said that since June 21 there have been damages to the SEN and pointed out that when the availability of the generation does not cover the demand, the service must be reduced.
He highlighted the effort of technicians and engineers, who through constant innovation provide solutions to problems.
According to Edier Guzmán Pacheco, director of thermal generation at the Elctricity Union, given the serious effects on the availability of electricity generation to meet the country’s demand, it is expected that before the end of 2021 the UNE will be able to recover 608 megawatts (MW), with a view to gradually improving the operational reserve of the SEN.
This process, made possible thanks to the financing allocated by the Cuban State, will make it possible to reduce blackouts in the residential and state sectors.
Regarding the failure of the largest thermoelectric plant in the country, Antonio Guiteras, located in Matanzas, reported in the Roundtable program that work is being done for its start-up with an additional 90 MW of which it had at the time of its exit from service.
Despite resource limitations to ensure conservation, improvement actions are planned in Unit 2, Felton, and 5, Mariel, he said, referring to the prospects for solving the current complex situation.
On this, Guzmán Pacheco stressed that the decrease in blackouts is dependent on the recovery of generation capacities that are currently unavailable.
For this, although financing is required, the workers of the UNE do not stop and continue in the search for solutions using the potential of the national industry and inventiveness, he said.
Faced with the population’s concern that on many occasions and in places the disconnection of the electricity service due to a generation deficit has exceeded the four hours of planned blackout, Jorge Armando Cepero Hernández, director of the UNE, explained among its causes the occurrence of some other faults at the time of reconnection, or that the circuits trip and it is necessary to wait some time to gradually increase the load.
He recalled that there are circuits that are not included in this program, since health centers, units for pumping water and vital centers of production and services are fed from them.
Regarding the opinions of some people as to whether the sale of household electrical equipment in stores in freely convertible currencies is not counterproductive now, or to allow the importation by travelers of those means that constitute renewable energy sources, Cepero Hernández said that there is enough installed capacity to assimilate them.
Tatiana Amarán, Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines, reported at the Round Table that the measures to be adopted in the face of the current contingency are those provided for in the plans of the Energy Councils, led by local governments, regarding energy restrictions for the sector state, without ceasing to insist on actions aimed at saving electricity in homes.