Wärtsilä to maintain and operate Hawaiian biodiesel-fueled power station

In Hawaii, clean, secure, and uninterrupted power is at the core of Hawaiian Electric’s 50-megawatt Schofield Generating Station. Wärtsilä has signed a Maintenance and Operational advisory agreement for the power plant, located on the island of Oahu, 40 kilometers from Honolulu. The agreement will help the utility to maximize the availability and efficiency of the power plant.

Wärtsilä, for the duration of the 10-year agreement, will provide advisory and maintenance services that help ensure reliable power generation for the plant, which is primarily used to meet peak loads. The fast-response power plant increases flexible power generation and supports Hawaii in reaching its target of 100 percent renewable energy by 2045.

The plant is operated on biodiesel with ultra-low sulfur diesel as a secondary fuel and has the ability to use biogas or natural gas in the future. The plant will also provide “black start” capability, which improves resilience in the event of natural disasters such as hurricanes or tsunamis.