Biofuel: A clean fuel for a greener Hawaii
by Michael Choe | Aug. 11, 2021
Biofuel sounds like something right out of a sci-fi movie set in the future. But it’s not fictional — it’s one of the renewable fuel sources that Hawaiian Electric has been using for years. Biofuel is the term for fuel created by burning organic matter (such as wood, plants, and algae) or waste (such as used cooking oil and animal fats). Electricity is generated when the materials are burned and produce steam. Biodiesel, an advanced biofuel, is a biodegradable, non-toxic fuel for any diesel engine; it directly replaces petroleum-based diesel, a fossil fuel.
Hawaiian Electric has been using biodiesel for more than a decade now. For example, Oahu’s 50MW Schofield Generating Station and 8MW Honolulu International Airport Emergency Power Facility are both powered by biodiesel; the Maalaea Power Plant on Maui also utilizes biodiesel. As Hawaii advances toward 100% renewable electricity production, biodiesel is an important part of the state’s renewable energy mix.
So where does the company get all its biodiesel?
Hawaiian Electric works closely with Pacific Biodiesel. Founded in 1995 on Maui, Pacific Biodiesel is the nation’s longest operating biodiesel producer and created the first retail biodiesel pump in America. As Hawaii’s only commercial producer of liquid biofuels, the company recycles nearly all of Hawaii’s used cooking oil to annually produce more than 5.5 million gallons of distilled biodiesel at its refinery on Hawaii Island. This volume of biodiesel is the equivalent of nearly 220 MWh per DAY of 100% renewable energy for Hawaii!
“Since used cooking oil is a finite resource in Hawaii, our goal is to use 100% local feedstock for the production of our fuel — and we can do that through diversified agriculture,” said Pacific Biodiesel’s Director of Operations Jenna Long.
Pacific Biodiesel’s founders are sustainably farming sunflowers on Maui for food “then” fuel production. “We harvest the seeds to produce culinary oil and later we recycle the used cooking to produce our 100% renewable fuel,” Long explained.
The partnership between Hawaiian Electric and Pacific Biodiesel supports the state’s clean energy goals and provides the utility with an efficient and green high-quality fuel source. But that’s not all! In the past, Pacific Biodiesel President Robert King stated that “Hawaiian Electric is ensuring the continuous operation of the Keaau facility, and job security for 80 Pacific Biodiesel employees.” It’s a win-win situation for Hawaiian Electric, Pacific Biodiesel, and of course, the planet.
To learn more about biodiesel and Pacific Biodiesel, visit www.biodiesel.com or follow them on social media at @pacificbiodiesel.
Michael Choe is a social media and digital communications specialist at Hawaiian Electric Company.
