The Unit 6 of the Costa Sur power plant in Guayanilla will remain out of service for at least two weeks due to additional damage suffered during the startup and synchronization process. According to Energy Czar Josué Colón, the unit experienced problems during the procedure and suffered damage to the support system of several main steam lines, requiring additional repairs.
The issues arose after the unit's sudden shutdown on Thursday night, which resulted in a loss of 350 megawatts (MW) of generation and left over 170,000 customers without electricity. LUMA Energy had initially reported no evidence of an explosion or damage to the switchyard, but Genera PR's Vice President of Public Affairs, Iván Báez, stated that the unit suffered additional damage during the startup attempt, including broken insulation on several pipes.
A complete inspection, repairs, and reinstallation of the pipes will be necessary before the unit can be put back into service.