US Army and Hawaiian Electric break ground on 50MW biodiesel-powered electricity plant

The US Army and Hawaiian Electric Co. have broken ground on a partially biodiesel-powered 50MW power plant on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

The plant, located on land at the Schofield Barracks on the island, will burn both biodiesel and fossil fuels.

Being developed, owned, and operated by Hawaiian Electric, the plant is expected to come online in early 2018.

The plant will feature modern, flexible and efficient generators that will complement increasing levels of solar and wind power on the Oahu grid.

The generators will be capable of quickly starting up, shutting down, or changing their output in response to sudden changes in solar and wind energy resources, which provide varying levels of energy depending on weather, time of day, cloud cover and other factors.

The plant will utilise six Wärtsilä 34DF engines capable of running on diesel, biodiesel, or liquefied natural gas.

Hawaii Electric said as the only power plant on the island – located inland, away from any coastal impacts from storms or tsunamis and well protected on a secure Army base – the Schofield plant will strengthen the Oahu grid and make it better prepared for emergencies.