Cuba advances investments in unit 4 of major thermoelectric plant

CIENFUEGOS, Cuba, August 15 (ACN) The major overhaul of unit number 4 of the Carlos Manuel de Cespedes thermoelectric plant in the central province of Cienfuegos is progressing toward the completion of the main lines of this investment, although larger work is still required on the boiler of that block.

Carlos Fernandez Almenares, head of the workshop at the Cienfuegos-based business unit, part of the Power Plant Maintenance Company, told the Cuban News Agency that the general overhaul of the turbine allowed for an assessment of the condition of all internal parts, many of which were damaged after 14 years without maintenance.

The specialist stated that this required transporting these components out of the country for repair and commissioning, but the assembly process for these parts has already been completed with the necessary corrections.

He explained that the turbine has made significant progress in this phase and is now in the final sealing stage, before moving on to the oil cleaning phase and verification of the equipment schematics.

They also worked on other elements such as auxiliary equipment, which contributes to electricity and steam generation, the executive reported.

Fernandez Almenares indicated that, in general, investments in block 4 began months ago, primarily in response to the situation in the boiler, with the heat exchange surfaces, particularly the superheaters and reheaters, which was causing a series of recurring breakdowns.

The work in this area included the dismantling of all components, as well as all the coils in this assembly. At the same time, various maintenance actions were carried out on the air heaters, fans, and various parts of the air and gas flow circuits, as well as on other elements such as the burners.

These actions included both corrective measures and manufacturing work, as well as the replacement of deteriorated equipment. Therefore, the assembly process required a considerable amount of welded joints, a process lasting more than 180 days, dedicated to the boiler repair activity, he concluded.