Full capacity of Puna geothermal plant by year-end
Drilling rig at Puna Geothermal Power Plant, Big Island, Hawaii (source: betterplace.com)
Alexander Richter
7 Apr 2021
Puna Geothermal Ventures plans to get the Puna geothermal power plant in Hawaii back to full capacity by year end 2021.
Reported locally, Puna Geothermal Venture, the operator of the geothermal power plant on the Big Island of Hawaii, has announced plans to rebound to full capacity from the current operational 20 MW.
In 2018, lava from a nearby volcanic eruption came close to the plant, which was shut down for security purposes. The plant came back online in November 2020.
With a virtual community meeting held yesterday, the company announced plans of getting the full capacity of 38 MW back to operation by the end of the year.
In separate news, it is reported that the state Public Utility Commission has requested an updated Environmental Impact Study before the acceptance of an amended Power Purchase Agreement, we reported on. A decision from September 2020, from the state Department of Health Office of Environmental Quality Control determined that a new new or supplemental environmental review for an air permit renewal was not required. There was though some local opposition.
The new amended PPA was set to fix the rate paid by the state utility to PGV and no longer be linked to the price of oil. In additional the PPA saw the expansion of the agreement for an additional 8 MW to be added to the current capacity of the plant.
Source: Hawaii News Now, Hawaii Tribune Herald
