Battery-boosted Hawaii wind project breaks ground

www.brighterenergy.org
July 14, 2010

Wind developer First Wind has broken ground on its 30-MW Kahuku wind project in Hawaii. The facility will use an innovative battery-based power management system to store up energy to smooth over the intermittent generation of the project's 12 wind turbines. A ceremony was held yesterday at the site on Oahu's North Shore, where the wind farm will become the only utility-scale wind project on the island and one of the largest in the state. Located in the hills west of Kahuku town, the wind farm should generate enough renewable energy to supply 7,700 local homes with electricity.

Power is being sold to Hawaiian Electric Company under a 20-year power purchase agreement agreed in May. First Wind said the project would create, "immediate" benefits for the local area, with 200 construction jobs supported. Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle, who led the ceremony, said: "The Kahuku Wind Project brings Hawaii another step closer to reducing our state's dependence on imported foreign oil and increasing our energy security".

Storage
The project is also to use a special battery storage system to help the wind farm comply with performance standards for the local grid. The battery system will come from Xtreme Power. Inc., and will be the largest of its kind in Hawaii. It will smooth the energy supply from the wind turbines to the grid, providing a certain amount of power when the wind speed drops while also holding power in reserve for times of peak demand.

Texas firm Xtreme Power will supply a 15MVA, 10MW per hour power management system, based on the pilot-scale 1,5MW storage system it has demonstrated at First Wind's operational wind farm on Maui, the 30MW Kaheawa Wind Project. Xtreme Power said its technology had the ability to reduce power variability in wind turbines by ore than 95%, as well as avoiding wind turbine trips and overloads. Carlos Coe, president an CEO of the company, said; "With First Wind, we've proven that our dynamic power management system helps to deliver on the promise of reliable clean energy today".

Loan
The Kahuku project is expected to be handed a $117 million loan guarantee from the US Department of Energy, with negotiations near to closure. First Wind, which has its head office in Boston. Massachusettts, said the start of construction was a, "major milestone", but would not have been possible without the promise of a DOE loan guarantee.

Paul Gaynor, the firm's CEO, said: "It is important to acknowledge the vital role that DOE and its Loan Program Office played in advancing this project as the loan guarantee enable us to secure necessary financing to build this innovative wind power project". The Kahuku Wind Project is to use 12, "Liberty" wind turbines, each rated to produce 2.5W of power, supplied by US manufacturer Clipper Windpower Wind. The machines are the largest turbines to be built within North America, with manufacturing taking place at Cedar Rapids. Iowa.