A spill of crude oil and fuel oil that occurred this Thursday at the former José Martí thermoelectric plant, which has been out of operation since 2015, has raised concerns due to the high risk of fire and environmental damage in the industrial area of Matanzas.
The incident, which was reported in the early hours of Thursday, prompted the mobilization of CUPET units, firefighters, and technicians from the Antonio Guiteras Thermal Power Plant (CTE), located nearby, who are improvising responses to a high-risk scenario in a facility that, given its conditions, does not appear to have been prepared for an emergency of this magnitude.
According to Román Pérez Castañeda, the technical director of CTE Antonio Guiteras, to which the Martí plant belongs, the fuel stored in the tanks had not been removed in a decade, despite the fact that “certain actions” were taken after the facility was shut down.
“The plant operated on that fuel, and despite certain actions taken, it had not been possible to extract it and give it a proper destination”, he declared to Periódico Girón.
The revelation is alarming because the crude oil remained stored without a clear destination for almost a decade, in metal tanks susceptible to corrosion, without adequate technical oversight, in infrastructure deemed obsolete.
Pérez Castañeda explained that measures are being implemented across various timelines and responses to minimize the risk.
“Here, regarding electrical power, there is currently no heat source in this area that could start a fire. The first priority is to prevent a fire from occurring.”
Additionally, nearby CUPET tanks are being cooled as a preventive measure to reduce the risk of spontaneous combustion. Meanwhile, firefighting units have been deployed with all available systems.
According to Pérez Castañeda, one of the fire pump systems could not be activated due to failures in the internal combustion engine battery, which necessitated the urgent transfer of spare parts. The situation clearly indicates that the infrastructure was not in optimal condition to handle an emergency.
Additionally, the authorities are hastily constructing a second barrier using rocky material due to fears that the retaining wall may fail. This decision reflects an alarming lack of preventive maintenance and structural reinforcements in a highly flammable environment.
One of the most sensitive aspects of the incident is the possibility that the spilled fuel could reach the sea. Although maritime tracking devices have already been deployed with the support of the company Caribe, the environmental threat is real, and the response appears to be coming too late to address a situation that could have been contained from the beginning with updated systems and proactive measures.
The José Martí was once a symbol of efficiency within the national energy system, recognized as the first industry in the country to use native crude. However, its abandonment since 2015, without a rigorous dismantling plan or waste management, has turned it into a ticking time bomb, now triggered by bureaucratic indifference and a lack of foresight.
This new episode adds to the long list of structural failures in the Cuban energy sector, such as the explosion at the Matanzas supertanker base in 2022, confirming a pattern of systemic negligence and ongoing vulnerability.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Fuel Spill and Fire Risk at the Matanzas Thermoelectric Plant
What happened at the former José Martí thermoelectric plant in Matanzas?
A spill of crude oil and fuel oil occurred at the former José Martí thermoelectric plant, which has sparked concerns over the risk of fire and environmental damage in Matanzas. The facility, which has been out of use since 2015, still contained fuel that was stored without proper technical oversight, creating a high-risk scenario in the area.
What measures are being taken to control the spill in Matanzas?
The authorities are taking emergency measures, such as cooling nearby tanks and deploying firefighting units. Additionally, a second barrier made of rocky material has been hastily constructed to contain the fuel. Efforts are being made to prevent the fuel from reaching the sea, although the response seems delayed.
What environmental risks does the fuel spill in Matanzas entail?
The fuel spill in Matanzas poses a serious environmental risk, especially if the crude oil reaches the sea, which could cause significant harm to the marine ecosystem. The lack of preventive maintenance and structural reinforcements has increased the vulnerability of the area, which has already experienced similar incidents in the past, highlighting a persistent concern regarding Cuba's industrial infrastructure.
Why was the fuel still stored at the José Martí thermoelectric plant?
The fuel had remained stored without being extracted since the plant's closure in 2015, due to the lack of a rigorous dismantling or waste management plan. Although some actions were taken after the closure, a clear disposal solution for the crude, stored in metal tanks prone to corrosion, was not achieved.
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