Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative in Hawaii receives 1st delivery of locally produced biodiesel

Pacific Biodiesel and KIUC personnel prepare to transfer fuel to KIUC’s storage tank (Photo: KIUC)

Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative received its first delivery of locally produced biodiesel June 28 as part of its new fuel-supply contract executed last month with Pacific Biodiesel Technologies.

Under the agreement, Pacific Biodiesel Technologies, owner and operator of the biodiesel refinery on Hawai‘i Island, will supply biodiesel for KIUC to be used to partially fuel its 27.5-megawatt Kapaia Power Generation Station.

The liquid-fuel-fired combined-cycle power-generation facility is KIUC’s largest generator.

“This biodiesel contract allows KIUC to test the use of biodiesel storage and use at its generating stations while further reducing the use of fossil fuel for electricity generation,” said David Bissell, KIUC president and CEO. “In the future, biodiesel may be a critical source of renewable energy as part of KIUC’s accelerated pathway to 100 percent renewable energy by 2033, which is more than a decade earlier than the state of Hawai‘i’s mandated timeline of 2045. We are pleased to source this 100 percent renewable fuel from Pacific Biodiesel. Supporting local biodiesel production helps ensure greater energy security for our island state.”

In a press release issued last month, KIUC reported it continues to lead the state in renewable power generation, achieving 60.2 percent renewable for 2022.

In addition, KIUC recorded the lowest electricity rates for all the islands for the past 12 months, attributed to its high percentage of renewables.

Solar contributed 39.8 percent of KIUC’s generation in 2022.

Other renewables contributing in 2022 were hydro (10.7 percent) and biomass (9.8 percent).

“Kaua‘i is a shining example for the world to see that a 100 percent renewable future is achievable, especially for vulnerable island communities that are on the front lines of the climate crisis,” said Bob King, Pacific Biodiesel founder and president.

Founded on Maui in 1995, Pacific Biodiesel annually produces more than 5.5 million gallons of premium distilled biodiesel at its refinery on Hawai‘i Island.

Biodiesel is produced primarily from used cooking oil that Pacific Biodiesel recycles from restaurants statewide, including those on Kaua‘i.

Pacific Biodiesel’s founders are also farming sunflowers and other crops as a feedstock for local biodiesel production and for the production of culinary oils and animal feed, supporting greater energy security and food security in Hawai‘i.

“Pacific Biodiesel is the poster child for the circular economy, using local resources and creating local jobs to produce products for our local community,” King said.

Earlier this year, members of the KIUC team toured the Pacific Biodiesel refinery on Hawai‘i Island.

“We enjoyed showing them our processing plant and the quality of biodiesel that they will be receiving,” said Jenna Long, Pacific Biodiesel’s director of operations. “We are excited to have them as new partners.”

KIUC employs 142 people on Kaua‘i and Pacific Biodiesel has nearly 100 employees statewide, with more than 50 of those employees working at its Keaau refinery.