Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) has completed a 198-megawatt combined-cycle gas power plant in Guam, capable of supplying 75 percent of the U.S. territory's peak electricity demand once it begins operations.
KEPCO held a completion ceremony for the Ukudu combined-cycle gas power plant in Guam on Tuesday, the company said. Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero attended the event, along with officials from Korea East-West Power, Doosan Enerbility and the Export-Import Bank of Korea.
The Ukudu plant is expected to become a core piece of Guam's power grid infrastructure. Its installed capacity alone can cover three-quarters of the island's annual peak electricity demand. Because combined-cycle gas plants can relatively easily adjust output to match demand, the facility can serve as a baseload power source that keeps Guam's grid stable year-round.
A combined-cycle gas plant burns liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other fuels to first drive a gas turbine, then uses the high-temperature exhaust to produce steam that powers a second steam turbine. The configuration is known to deliver higher efficiency and lower fine dust emissions than conventional thermal plants.
The Ukudu plant is projected to deliver stable revenue for KEPCO. The company signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Guam Power Authority and expects the deal to generate a total of 3.2 trillion won in revenue.
KEPCO is also investing in renewable energy on Guam beyond thermal generation. "We are already operating the 60-megawatt Mangilao solar power plant, and we have won and are now building the 123-megawatt Yona solar power plant project," a KEPCO official said. "We will also participate in a 90-megawatt energy storage system (ESS) project to build a comprehensive energy portfolio in the Guam region."
"I am pleased that the successful completion of the Ukudu combined-cycle gas power plant will contribute to Guam's stable power supply and economic development," KEPCO President Kim Dong-cheol said. "Based on KEPCO's world-class technology, we will continue to create new cooperation models in the fields of power grid stabilization and energy efficiency."
