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Work started on road access to Puna geothermal plant in Hawaii

Work started on road access to Puna geothermal plant in Hawaii Lava creeping onto the site of the Puna geothermal plant, Hawaii - 22 May 2018 (source: screenshot, CNBC)
Alexander Richter 14 Dec 2018

Work on road access to the Puna geothermal power plant in Hawaii has started and will help in establishing what's needed to bring the plant back into operation.

News from Hawaii report that work has started to clear up a road access to the Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV) geothermal power plant on the Big Island. Work started this past weekend following the receipt of a “grubbing and grading permit” from Hawaii County, according to Mike Kaleikini, senior director of Hawaiian affairs for Ormat Technologies.

The geothermal power plant of Puna has been spared by the lava flows earlier this year, while the main lava channel from the four-month-long eruption crosses the property.

The company has been asked to also assist in creating access to some cut-off residences in the area.

It is though too early to say when PGV could restart operations. It could take up to 18 months, depending on the assessment of the impact to wells, the reservoir and infrastructure. Road access is a first step towards the goal of getting the 38 MW plant back online providing important baseload electricity to the island.

Source: Star Advertiser, West Hawaii Today