Cuba to perform major maintenance on the national electrical system

HAVANA, Cuba, Jan 4 (ACN) As part of Cuba's electricity recovery strategy, the ministry of energy and mines is planning an intensive maintenance program in the first four months this year in the country's large thermoelectric power plants.

Vicente de la O Levy, head of the sector, pointed out in a report by the Cuban Television Information System that in this stage they will not work against breakdowns, but by scheduled maintenance in thermoelectric plants such as Cienfuegos and Felton.

In this process, he indicated, some units of the large thermal blocks will coincide, especially in February, and this could cause load deficit, which results in blackouts.

It is estimated that the effects would be of two or three hours, and if these maintenance works were to coincide with the unforeseen output of some large unit, they could be greater, but never at the levels of last year (when they reached 10 and 12 hours), the minister assured.

In the first months of the year, the synchronization to the national electric system of new generation capacities is also foreseen, since there is still power to be incorporated in the sites of the large engines of Mariel and Moa, and also in the patanas.

Since December 17, de la O Levy specified, it has been possible to serve the loads demanded by the country 24 hours a day, reporting zero blackouts, except once, when there was a 44-minute interruption in the night peak.

The minister of energy and mines emphasized that during 2023, the national electric system will also be able to support the economic plan, which was not possible in the previous year, when the economy had to be affected in order to reduce the interruptions to the service of the population.