HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Residents shouldn’t expect loss of power as a result of the boiler explosion at the half-century-old Cabras 1 generator Friday, according to the Guam Power Authority.
Several panels of the exterior of Cabras 1 have cracked, leaving a hole and exposing what looks like the metal structure of the facility.
Power service was not affected by the explosion because the unit was offline at the time. GPA’s Cabras team reported the explosion at 6:10 a.m. Friday.
“We want to assure our community that GPA employees are safe and without injury. Some wall panels and insulation throughout the boiler were blown out but no fire has occurred,” GPA stated later in the morning in a press release. “It was an isolated incident, so residents living in the area are safe.”
The exterior of the Cabras facility was visibly damaged as of Friday afternoon, with portions of the outer wall missing, revealing what appeared to be steel structures beneath. The Guam Fire Department was not called to the scene.
While power loss isn’t anticipated, GPA also stated that the island is at risk whenever a baseload unit is lost and a second baseload also experiences a forced outage.
Cabras 1 and its sister unit, Cabras 2, are managed under a performance management contract by Taiwan Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Services.
GPA officials are investigating the cause of the explosion. The utility’s crews are assessing damage and preparing a plan to get the unit up and running as soon as possible.
Overhaul needed
Cabras 2 is another of the island’s baseload units, which are the main generators for Guam. But like Cabras 1, that unit is about 50 years old and has been experiencing issues due to going an extended time without an overhaul.
The Consolidated Commission on Utilities, GPA’s governing board, recently approved a $5 million overhaul for Cabras 2. The Public Utilities Commission will need to approve the project. Cabras 2 has experienced a total of 127 days worth of outages in 2021. The unit was taken offline for inspection, cleaning and other reasons. But one of the most prominent reasons is boiler tube leaks.
Both Cabras 1 and 2 are destined for decommissioning after the planned 198-megawatt power plant in Ukudu comes online, projected to be in 2024.
The Guam Environmental Protection Agency administrator and emergency response personnel were said to be visiting the site Friday to look into the incident, according to Guam EPA spokesman Nic Lee. No updates were available as of press time, other than that a site report was being drafted.
The Cabras Power Plant in Piti is seen Friday morning after a boiler in Cabras 1 exploded.
