The risk of load shedding as the hotter months in Guam arrive will be lessened by 20 megawatts of additional power generation so long as Guam Power Authority is able to get its Yigo power generator online by the end of April. GPA is able to set this timeline because today its anticipated Yigo Combustion Turbine (CT) rotor has arrived in Guam, and will be transported from Apra Harbor to the Yigo site any day now.
Typhoon Mawar damaged the rotor and took 20 megawatts of power off the island’s electrical grid. That, combined with other smaller downed generators and the larger ones at Cabras, led to load shedding in the latter part of 2023.
According to a GPA news release:
Following meticulous repairs and a challenging transport process, the refurbished rotor’s arrival and imminent installation mark a significant step forward in GPA’s mission to enhance energy reliability for its customers.
Upon the rotor’s arrival at the Yigo site from the Jose D. Leon Guerrero Commercial Port, GPA’s dedicated teams will collaborate with the expert technicians who conducted the repairs to the rotor. They will undertake the final phase of installing and testing the generator rotor that will add 20 MW to the Island Wide Power System (IWPS). Completion of the final phase is expected around the end of April. This progress puts Guam on track to regain an additional 20 MW of power capacity, anticipating peak demand periods before summer.
“Recognizing the concerns of our community, we are fully committed to addressing the current energy challenges on Guam. Our teams are dedicated to increasing capacity and stabilizing energy generation to ensure a reliable power supply for our residents. With focused efforts and technical expertise, we aim to restore power reliability through multiple fronts within the next few months and intend to keep our customers informed every step of the way,” stated Jennifer Sablan, P.E., Assistant General Manager of Operations.
The restoration of the Yigo CT is just one aspect of GPA’s multi-pronged approach to address the island’s capacity shortfall, bridging the gap until the opening of the Ukudu Power Plant by September 15, 2025.
