Minister of Energy and Mines, Ivan Arronte.

Havana, Jul 18 (RHC) The situation of Cuba's National Electroenergy System (SEN) today is complex and tense, said Minister of Energy and Mines, Ivan Arronte.

Explaining to the population the problems faced by power generation, he specified that solutions take time, resources, financing, and raw materials for the national production of parts and pieces, many of which are already being imported.

Speaking on the radio program, Mesa Redonda on Monday,  power generation, Cuba, Arronte explained that the country drew up a strategy to cover the summer demand for electricity in June. It included maintaining and cleaning the boilers at the Lidio Ramón Pérez--Felton--  and the Antonio Guiteras power plants in Holguín and Matanzas provinces, respectively.

With these works, 740 megawatts (MW) would be recovered to meet the high demand that occurs in the summer months due to the high temperatures.

He explained that on July 8, during the adjustment and final tests, a fire in the boiler of unit two of Felton prevented the contribution to the power grid of some  250 MW.

Arronte explained that for an electric system to operate under ideal conditions, it must have a reserve of more than 500 MW. With the loss of Felton's contribution, that reserve currently stands at  150 MW.

The Minister said that since June 2021, the power grid has been working with low availability due to unfulfilled maintenance and fuel shortages due to the reinforcement of the US blockade,  which has increased the prices of resources, inputs, and raw materials.

He illustrated that an oil tanker costs Cuba 30 percent more than the intended value, more than 60 million dollars for the consumption of nine days, an operation marked by the risks that the country runs with purchases in distant markets and high freight rates of shipping companies.

"Sustaining the national electricity system is costly," said Arronte, who added that only guaranteeing the operation and maintenance of the national generation for one year requires some 250 million dollars.

He said these are only maintenance and operation costs, not fuel or those associated with capitalized investments, including repairs to thermoelectric plants or distributed generation engines.