Hawaiian Electric has signed a deal to buy up to 150,000 gallons of locally made algae-based biofuel to burn in its Kahe Generating Station as part of the utility’s shift away from reliance on fossil fuels.
Phycal Inc. has agreed to deliver the first shipment by 2014 as part of a pilot project using algae grown in ponds at its facility in Wahiawa. The company plans to break ground on a 34-acre pilot farm in late 2011 or early 2012.
HECO has successfully tested other types of biofuel in its generators but this will be the first time the utility will be using fuel derived from algae, which is capable of yielding more oil per acre than any other biofuel feedstock.
"This is another contract resulting from our call for local biofuels," said Robbie Alm, Hawaiian Electric executive vice president. "After decades of near-total dependence on foreign oil, we must take advantage of diverse local energy sources, including solar, wind, geothermal, waste-to-energy, hydro, ocean and biofuel."
See the original article at: KHON2 Developing Stories
