Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who owns Kalaeloa Partners LP?
A. 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.
Q. What is Kalaeloa Partners’ fuel source?
A. Kalaeloa is able to accept a wide range of fuels, including gas, diesel, LSFO, and biofuels as they become available. Right now, our primary fuel source is low sulfur fuel oil (LSFO). 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.
Q. What does Kalaeloa Partners do with the electricity it produces?
A. Kalaeloa Partners has a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO). The power we produce—up to 208 MW per day—is purchased by HECO and added to Oahu’s electrical grid.
Q. Doesn’t Kalaeloa also produce power from steam?
A. 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.
Q. What is Kalaeloa Partners doing to protect the environment?
A. At KPLP, we care deeply 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.
Q. Can KPLP’s facility withstand natural disasters such as hurricanes and tsunamis?
A. KPLP’s power facility is designed to handle Hawaiʻi’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 HECO and continue to provide firm capacity and energy in extreme weather conditions. We also took immediate mitigation steps to protect our employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Q. When would KPLP’s facility be able to switch to biofuels?
A. KPLP’s ARPPA with HECO provides an option for HECO to begin a process for HECO and KPLP to explore alternative fuel options, including biofuels, to support the State’s Clean Energy goals. KPLP has already explored the potential use of biofuels. However, at this point, when such a fuel switch would be seriously explored is not set.