MATANZAS, Cuba — The Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Power Plant (CTE) in Matanzas, Cuba’s largest and most efficient single unit, is ramping up power following its resynchronization with the national electric power system (SEN) at 9:33 a.m. today, announced Román A. Pérez Castañeda, the facility's general director.

Speaking to the Cuban News Agency (ACN), Pérez Castañeda explained that the unit—currently delivering just over 80 megawatts (MW) to the grid—could reach up to 190 MW by the peak demand hour through a staggered load-increasing process that still demands strict technical precision and carries inherent operational risks.

Nevertheless, the specialist highlighted the positive results of control tests conducted over the past 24 hours prior to starting up the aging infrastructure, which has been in operation for over 38 years and has gone without a comprehensive overhaul for more than 15 years.

Since its disconnection from the grid last Sunday, repair efforts centered on addressing six defects located in an elevated-temperature reheater section that is difficult to access. According to national radio station Radio Rebelde, workers executed around thirty weld seams and conducted required metallographic checks.

The maintenance intervention, which included standard pneumatic and hydraulic pressure tests, was carried out by plant personnel alongside specialized teams from the Power Plant Maintenance Company.

Founded in 1988 by Fidel Castro, the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, the Antonio Guiteras power plant stands out among the island's facilities due to its strategic location in the western region where energy demand is concentrated, as well as its ability to receive domestic crude oil directly via pipeline, eliminating transportation costs.