Puna geothermal site in Hawaii to expand capacity with Repower project

Drilling rig at Puna Geothermal Power Plant, Big Island, Hawaii (source: betterplace.com)

The Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV) Repower Project aims to increase power production of the geothermal power plant in the Puna District on Hawai’i Island from 38 to 46 MW in Phase 1 and further increase production to 60 MW in Phase 2. The current proposal is to replace the 12 operating power-generating units with up to four upgraded power-generating units.

In relation to the Repower Project, PGV has published an Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice on the July 23, 2022 edition of “The Environmental Notice.” With this,  there will be a 30-day public review period with comments due by August 22. There will also be a Public Scoping Meeting to be held on August 17 at the Pahoa Community Center.

The EISP document provides a few more details about the planned expansion project. The proposed project will all be within the facility site fence line and will have a smaller footprint of disturbance than the current units. The proposed new units will be more efficient and will have quieter equipment. Most of the existing infrastructure and buildings will remain.

The document also recounts how the Puna geothermal power plant had to be shut down following the 2018 eruption of the Kilauea volcano. Lava covered two wellheads on the site and destroyed the substation and warehouse. Restoration of the site facilities was undertaken over the following years. As of early 2022, the power plant produces approximately 25.7 MW.

We first reported on the planned expansion of PGV in early 2020. The project was enabled by an Amended and Restated Power Purchase Agreement (ARPPA) between PGV and Hawaii Electric Light Co. (HELCO). According to the document, the deal will “repower the existing plant using the same amount of geothermal resource, extender the term until 2052, increase capacity of the geothermal plant to 46 MWE, and delink pricing of energy from ol costs with no escalation.”

Source: County of Hawai’i