Venezuela continues power grid recovery after June earthquakes

Venezuela is continuing efforts to rehabilitate its National Electric System (SEN) following a double earthquake on June 24. Electric Energy Minister Rolando Alcalá reported that technical teams from Corpoelec have been working 24 hours a day to repair infrastructure in the central, western, and southwestern regions.

At the Termocarabobo thermoelectric plant, engineers have successfully recovered two of the four damaged transformer groups. Authorities expect to recover a third group in the coming days, which would add 450 megawatts to the grid out of the 600 megawatts lost during the seismic events.

Additional recovery efforts are focused on Planta Centro, specifically the rehabilitation of the 600-megawatt Unit 6, and the reconstruction of transmission towers on the Planta Centro–Yaracuy 400 kV line. One of the three uprooted towers has been recovered, while work continues on the remaining two.

In a related administrative move, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez appointed engineer Juan Crisóstomo Fernández as the new president of Corpoelec to strengthen the essential service.