Guam Power Authority announced Friday evening that the Ukudu Power Plant will begin its seven-day reliability testing on Sunday, marking the final and most critical step before the facility enters commercial operation. The milestone signals that Guam is nearing completion of a major upgrade to its Island-Wide Power System.
The testing phase requires the new plant to run continuously under real operating conditions to confirm it can safely and consistently carry Guam’s electrical load. GPA crews will remain fully staffed and prepared to bring other generators online if needed. Any interruption would restart the testing clock — a standard safeguard to ensure long-term performance.
“Reliability testing is where everything comes together,” GPA General Manager John M. Benavente said, noting that adjustments during this phase are expected for a project of this scale. GPA emphasized that the process is designed specifically to identify and correct issues before Ukudu is accepted into commercial service at the end of its 25-year BOT term.
Final preparations are underway, including transmission line work and the transition from pre-reliability testing into full reliability operations. While isolated outages may occur, GPA does not expect widespread disruptions. “Our teams will be ready around the clock,” Benavente said. Once commissioned, Ukudu is expected to replace aging units, reduce fuel use by more than 900,000 barrels annually, and improve system stability and affordability.