Biofuel and solar power projects help Army garner award

In Washington, a biofuel power plant at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and a solar power plant with energy-storage capability that went online this year at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, were among projects that helped the Army gain recognition in 2018 with an award from the Federal Energy Management Program.

Schofield Barracks’ biofuel plant became operational in May. The biofuel plant provides power to Oahu during peak-demand periods. It has the capability to be decoupled from the grid in case of a grid emergency, McGhee said, and Schofield Barracks has the first right to power from the plant in such an emergency.

The 50-megawatt power plant can provide 100 percent of the power needed to keep Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield and Field Station Kunia running during a grid power emergency, according to OEI.

Several days of biofuel are stored on site at the plant and 30 days are available on the island, McGhee said. The plant also uses regular fuel oil and could even be operated on liquefied natural gas, providing what he termed as even more resilience.