Cuba increased power generation with more units in start-up process

 HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 17 (ACN) Lazaro Guerra Hernandez, general director of Electricity of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, informed -via telephone to the Sunday news program of the Cuban News Channel- that the national electricity system currently generates 1,057 megawatts (MW), as a result of the progressive advance in the coverage of electricity in the country.

However, the western provinces of Artemisa and Pinar del Rio remain disconnected from the National Electric System (SEN) until the synchronization of the new units is completed, he said.

Guerra Hernandez specified that at that moment, six thermal generation units were in the process of starting up. Among them, two belong to the Mariel thermoelectric plant, one of which already has its boiler on; two in its similar plant in Santa Cruz del Norte (units one and three), with the latter also in an advanced state of preparation, the Antonio Guiteras unit, which is expected to be ready for synchronization in a little more than an hour, and finally unit number six in Renté, which is also advancing in its start-up phase, he added.

The executive explained that if these units manage to synchronize throughout Sunday, electricity generation will increase significantly, which will allow extending the coverage of the service.

In addition, it is estimated that, if all the incorporations are completed in the early hours of the morning, it will be possible to further increase the available load in the system, which would allow optimizing the distribution of electricity at a national level, he stressed. In summary, efforts to re-establish full connection of the SEN continue.

It is expected that the synchronization of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant or the Mariel unit number eight, both in the process of starting up, will allow linking the provinces of Artemisa and Pinar del Rio during Sunday afternoon, in order to consolidate the recovery of the electric system in the country, he concluded.