Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Kalaeloa Partners LP?
Kalaeloa Partners (KPLP) is owned by infrastructure funds sponsored and managed by Harbert Management Corporation (HMC). HMC, through its funds, has been part of the ownership of KPLP since 1997 and has owned power generation facilities throughout the U.S. since 1986.
What is Kalaeloa Partners’ fuel source?
Kalaeloa is able to accept a wide range of fuels, including gas, diesel, LSFO, and biofuels as they become available. Currently, our primary fuel source is low sulfur fuel oil (LSFO)(click here). Low sulfur oil is desirable because it uses less energy during refining. The LSFO used at Kalaeloa Partners has a sulfur content of less than one percent, in compliance with environmental regulations. Our facility also has the ability to utilize alternative fuel, such as biofuels, as they become available.
What does Kalaeloa Partners do with the electricity it produces?
Kalaeloa Partners has a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Hawaiian Electric (HE). The power we produce—up to 208 MW per day—is purchased by HE and added to Oahu’s electrical grid.
Doesn’t Kalaeloa also produce power from steam?
Yes, we do. When our gas turbine channels power to the generator, it produces heat. We use the heat to produce steam. Energy produced by this process powers a steam turbine generator that produces additional electricity, at no extra cost, for our own operations. Steam is also sent to the nearby PAR fuel refinery to power its processes.
What is Kalaeloa Partners doing to protect the environment?
At KPLP, we care about protecting the environment. Our co-generation technology allows us to produce firm capacity and efficient energy with less emissions through the heat-recovery process of our steam turbine. We’re also working to preserve Hawaii’s limited water resources through the use of reverse osmosis to recycle wastewater produced in our operations, which saves half a million gallons of drinking water every day.
Can KPLP’s facility withstand natural disasters such as hurricanes and tsunamis?
KPLP’s power facility is designed to handle Hawaii’s weather conditions, including extreme weather such as gale-force winds, and sits outside of the tsunami inundation zone. Our facility has protocols and procedures to deal with a variety of situations that may occur, which include the ability to maintain 24/7 contact with HE and continue to provide firm capacity and energy in extreme weather conditions.
When would KPLP’s facility be able to switch to biofuels?
KPLP’s ARPPA with HE provides an option to explore alternative fuel sources, including biofuels which is an important characteristic as Hawaii transitions to renewable energy resources to support the State’s Clean Energy goals. In January 2010, KPLP successfully tested the potential use of biofuels. However, at this point a fuel switch is not fixed.
