The Cuban Electric Union (UNE) has recently reported that unit 1 of the Lidio Ramón Pérez Thermal Power Plant, commonly referred to as Felton, is now "disconnected from the National Electrical Grid." According to the latest update, the UNE specified that at 9:38 a.m., Felton was shut down due to a "false alarm from the hydrogen sensor of the generator."
Immediately, numerous online users expressed outrage over the persistent failures of the thermal power plants, which they see as an insult to the endurance and patience of the Cuban people. This collective frustration was evident in comments ranging from sarcasm to outright despair. Remarks like "News would be if the power plant were stable," "This is material for a dark comedy film," "No nerves can withstand all this," "If it's not Felton, it's Guiteras; if not, it's Céspedes... it's always the same story," "Even the power plants spread fake news," and "We've lost the joy of living" underscore the dismay caused by the island's ongoing energy crisis.
Brief Functionality of Felton
The Lidio Ramón Pérez (Felton) thermal power plant had reconnected with the National Electrical Grid on Friday after being out of service for over a week. Felton was disconnected on January 30th for planned maintenance. Four days later, operators had managed to clean just 5,620 of the more than 22,000 tubes in its condenser, which is roughly 25% of the total. The maintenance tasks involved the main valves, boiler descaling, air heater and condenser cleaning, as well as inspecting two bearings in the turbine.
Relentless Blackouts
Cuba's energy crisis shows no signs of improvement, despite the Central Thermal Power Plant Antonio Guiteras returning to the National Electrical Grid (SEN) at full capacity this Monday, following an initial comeback on Saturday that was plagued with issues. Tuesday's report from the UNE is particularly bleak: Cubans endured 1,614 MW of blackouts on Monday and are expected to face at least 1,460 MW of outages during nighttime hours today, even before Felton 1 went offline.
At the time of the UNE's report, six thermal power units were out of service due to breakdowns or maintenance. Two were malfunctioning: unit 1 of the Santa Cruz Thermal Power Station and unit 2 of the Felton Thermal Power Station. Under maintenance were unit 2 of the Santa Cruz Thermal Power Station, units 3 and 4 of the Cienfuegos Thermal Power Station, and unit 5 of the Renté Thermal Power Station.
In addition to the issues with the aging thermal power plants, the lack of fuel remains a significant obstacle for the regime in meeting the country's energy demands. The recent disconnection of Felton 1 from the SEN further exacerbates the situation.
Understanding Cuba's Energy Challenges
What caused the recent shutdown of Felton's unit 1?
Felton's unit 1 was shut down due to a false alarm triggered by the hydrogen sensor of the generator.
How has the energy crisis affected daily life in Cuba?
The energy crisis has led to frequent blackouts, causing significant inconvenience and frustration among the Cuban population.
What maintenance was performed on Felton's thermal power plant?
Maintenance included cleaning the condenser tubes, inspecting main valves, boiler descaling, and checking air heater and condenser components, as well as examining two turbine bearings.