EFE.- Venezuela started up a power turbine in Zulia state, the region hardest hit by blackouts, which will begin supplying electricity within the next 72 hours, government authorities said Thursday.
“TZ07 has just begun its slow rotation, which will allow it to synchronize with the SEN (National Electric System) within the next 72 hours,” Public Works Minister Juan José Ramírez said in a video shared on social media.
The work forms part of the rehabilitation plan for the General Rafael Urdaneta Thermoelectric Complex in Zulia.
“The joint efforts of the national government, regional authorities and the private sector reaffirm their commitment to ensuring energy stability, development and the well-being of all families in Zulia,” Communications Minister Miguel Ángel Pérez Pirela added.
On Tuesday, Venezuela’s Electric Energy Minister Rolando Alcalá said authorities are carrying out projects to add 1,300 megawatts of power to the electricity system in the final quarter of the year to stabilize the crisis and reduce the blackouts that have intensified in recent weeks.
Alcalá explained in another video shared on social media that a unit at Planta Centro, the main power generation complex serving central-western Venezuela, will begin operating “in the coming days,” adding 600 megawatts to the region. Authorities will also bring “seven units” online to add another 500 megawatts in the northwestern state of Zulia.
The announcement comes as residents in several regions stage protests almost daily over power outages lasting up to 16 hours.
Alcalá said electricity demand has increased in recent weeks, driven by a “rebound in economic activity,” high temperatures caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon and the earthquakes in June, which he said delayed ongoing plans to repair an electricity system that has faced a crisis for more than a decade.
Government officials have cited these factors, arguing that foreign sanctions prevented the country from buying spare parts for the electricity system for an extended period. The opposition and experts, however, maintain that corruption and inadequate maintenance caused the crisis.
Alcalá said Tuesday that “this year” the country has gained access to “original spare parts and components from the world’s leading manufacturers.”
Authorities also urged the public to use electricity efficiently and unplug appliances when not in use.
The Venezuelan government has signed agreements with U.S.-based General Electric, Germany’s Siemens and Argentina’s Impsa to address the electricity crisis.
