HAGÅTÑA — Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero and Lt. Gov. Joshua F. Tenorio will join Korea Electric Power Corporation Chairman and CEO Kim Dong-Cheol and a VIP delegation from South Korea on Thursday for the ribbon-cutting of the new 198-megawatt Ukudu power plant, capping an eight-year build that survived two typhoons, a global pandemic, and major economic disruption.
The total project cost is nearly $600 million. The 45-acre site was purchased in 2018.
In a meeting Wednesday at the Governor’s Complex in Adelup, Kim expressed gratitude to the Leon Guerrero-Tenorio Administration for helping keep construction on track through the challenges of the past eight years, the Office of the Governor said. Kim cited particular appreciation for Guam’s recovery efforts following Typhoons Mawar and Sinlaku.
Kim, who also served four terms in South Korea’s National Assembly, including as chair of committees overseeing Energy, Trade and Industry, and Land, Infrastructure, and Transportation, said KEPCO is willing and able to partner in efforts to fortify Guam’s power system moving forward. KEPCO currently operates in more than 25 countries, including U.S. projects in California, Colorado, and New York.
Leon Guerrero and Tenorio expressed appreciation for the strong working relationship among KEPCO, the Guam Power Authority, and the many local and federal agencies and regulatory partners that supported the project.
The state-of-the-art facility includes a 25-megawatt energy storage system and is designed to reduce GPA’s oil imports by nearly one million barrels annually. The plant is also capable of using liquefied natural gas.
The facility was purpose-built to support and stabilize Guam’s electrical grid while allowing greater integration of renewable energy sources, including solar power, into Guam’s clean energy plan, according to the Office of the Governor.
