A walk back in time at Hawaii Electric Light’s Shipman Plant
by Kristen Okinaka | Oct. 5, 2019
Located near Suisan Fish Market and Banyans Golf Course in Hilo is a little-known steam plant that powered Hawaii Island for nearly a century. The historic Shipman Plant is nestled behind rows of tall pine and coconut trees along scenic Banyan Drive.
At its prime, Shipman Plant generated up to 15.2 megawatts of electricity for the Hawaii Electric Light grid. Originally named the Waiakea Plant, it was constructed in the early 1920s and produced ice and electricity. In 1971, it became the Herbert C. Shipman Plant. The power plant was named after Herbert C. Shipman, a prominent businessman who is best known for breeding the endangered nene on his family’s ranch on Hawaii Island and saving the Hawaiian goose from extinction. The fossil fuel plant was retired in 2015 as the company began to integrate increasing amounts of renewable energy.
As part of Hawaii Electric Light’s 125th anniversary celebration, sections of Shipman Plant were opened to the community for guided tours on Saturday, Sept. 7. The tours also were offered as part of the 20th Annual He Halia Aloha No Liliuokalani (A Cherished Memory of the Queen) festival held across the street at Liliuokalani Gardens.
About 170 people took a walk back in time to learn about the power plant and the important role it played in providing electricity to our community. Retirees and former plant operators served as docents who shared personal stories about what it was like to work in the plant and how electricity was generated. They talked about the 1946 and 1960 tsunami that inundated and damaged the plant and showed how high the water levels were from each disaster. Visitors also saw a video of how a boiler is torched.
One of the most compelling stories is about the S.S. Fort Dearborn. The year was 1947, and the company was faced with an urgent need for more generation to keep pace with growth, line extensions, and commitments to remote communities. Deliveries of new generating equipment were years away and the situation was desperate.
As luck would have it, the company heard about the S.S. Fort Dearborn which was severely damaged by a storm off the coast of Hawaii. The oil tanker was split in half but still had its high-efficiency 5,000-kilowatt power generating plant.
The company bought the generators and had the aft section of the tanker towed to the Kuhio wharf where it was connected to the grid for four years. The generators were moved piece by piece to Shipman Plant, reassembled, and put in operation in 1952. It was innovation at its best!
To see the construction of a portion of Shipman Plant in the early 1950s, check out this clip from our archives:
Hawaii Electric Light thanks the Hawaii Island community for allowing us to serve you for the past 125 years. To show our appreciation, we invite you to join us at these upcoming free events:
- 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 15
Hilo Movie Night
Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium - 8 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5
125th Anniversary Celebration
Kalakaua Street in Downtown Hilo - 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7
Kona Movie Night
Kona Commons
For more information, on these events and Hawaii Electric Light’s history as a kamaaina company, please visit www.hawaiielectriclight.com.
Kristen Okinaka is the senior communications consultant at Hawaii Electric Light Company.
