Power August 2023 - 7

GLOBAL MONITOR
tional electrical system. Blackouts have
been increasing, with higher incidence
in recent months. Although projections
predicted an improvement in these conditions
for the summer season, lessening
the annoying blackouts, several
accidents in generating units, together
with the technological obsolescence of
most of the plants, have caused the energy
deficit to persist over time, causing
discomfort in the population and significant
negative effects on the economy.
Cuba depends to a large extent on
fossil fuels for the production of electricity,
being responsible for 95% of
what is consumed today. According to
data provided by the Ministry of Energy
and Mines, the country's installed power
generation capacity exceeds 6 GW if
all forms of generation are considered.
Of these, almost 2.6 GW depend on
thermal power plants, which constitute
the base generation and are the most
robust system.
About 40.6% of Cuba's power generation
is produced in thermal power
plants, 21.7% with fuel
oil engines,
and 21.9% with diesel engines. These
last two technologies in the distributed
generation facilities installed throughout
all the provinces of the country.
Today, almost 8% is produced with the
accompanying gas from oil production,
5% comes from renewable energy
sources (hydro, solar, and wind), and
the remaining 3% is produced by floating
units (thermal power barges). As
has been mentioned, in recent months,
the system has operated with a generation
deficit-without reserves-which
is why the blackouts happen. In the
case of the Cuban electrical system,
the required reserve target is equal to
(or greater than) 500 MW in order to
supply any unexpected contingency or
for maintenance needs of high-power
generating units.
There are eight thermoelectric plants
in the country with a total of 20 blocks
in operation, which constitute the most
important part of the base generation of
the electrical system. Of the total block,
only 16 are available.
The useful life of a thermoelectric
plant is between 30 and 35 years. However,
the weak spot of thermal generation
in the country is its ageing. Except
for the two Felton blocks, which have
been synchronized for 25 and 21 years,
respectively, the others have all been in
operation for more than 30 years, and
seven blocks have been operating for
more than 40 years.
Edier Guzmán Pacheco, director of
thermal generation for the state-owned
Unión Eléctrica, has detailed that the
installed power in the thermal blocks is
2,608 MW, distributed in eight thermoelectric
plants (Figure 2). In total, there
are 20 generation blocks of various technologies
or manufacturers, including the
new Mariel block. They are divided into
10 blocks from the former Soviet Union;
two Japanese blocks-Hitachi brand;
six blocks from the former Czechoslovakia;
and one French block, from Alstom,
at the Antonio Guiteras thermal power
plant. Now, Mariel Block 6 has been
added, whose boiler was built in Slovakia
and the turbine is of Russian origin.
The Cuban thermal power plants (TPP)
are the following:
■ The Máximo Gómez TPP, located
in Mariel province of Artemisa, currently
has three units of 90 MW each
with technology from the former Soviet
Union. The newest unit (Unit 6)
has a 100-MW capacity. This plant
has the possibility of consuming naI
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Power August 2023

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