CTE Guiteras Adheres to Protocols Following Boiler Breakdown

Adhering to established protocols, the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant is awaiting cooling in the boiler area to assess the fault that caused the plant’s shutdown from the National Electroenergetic System (SEN) during the previous night.

Román Pérez Castañeda, general director of the plant, informed the Cuban News Agency that when the fault was detected, the unit was supplying 190 megawatts of power to the SEN, and cooling procedures are underway, which usually take a little over 30 hours.

After cooling, the area will be accessed to precisely locate the fault, assess it, design the solution, carry out the repair, and subsequently perform tests to certify the quality of the work.

Guiteras is once again facing a breakdown after recently returning to the SEN on Wednesday following repairs to the economizer. As usual, the staff took advantage of the time to inspect 544 weld seams, of which 172 were repaired, and thickness was measured at more than 850 points, resulting in the need to replace five of them (mocheta caps), as highlighted by the Thermoelectric plant itself on its institutional Facebook profile.

Although it is 38 years old and is overdue for necessary major maintenance, the Guiteras plant is a strategic facility for the country, a spearhead in thermal generation on the island, and has a workforce with a proven vocation for service.

More than a decade ago, the French entity that designed, built, and installed the plant was acquired by a U.S. transnational corporation, which complicates efforts and the acquisition of parts and pieces for maintenance and repairs due to the United States blockade policy against Cuba.

• ACN