First Wind starts commercial operations of 21MW wind project

First Wind has completed the construction of a 21MW wind project called the Kaheawa Wind II located above Ma’alaea harbor in West Maui, US and has begun commercial operations.

The company’s two wind projects in the region, Kaheawa Wind I and II together can generate 51MW of clean energy which is sufficient to power around 18,700 Maui homes every year.

First Wind CEO Paul Gaynor said the company achieved the commercial operations of its first phase of Kaheawa Wind in 2006 and has now completed the second phase of the project.

"The expansion of our Kaheawa Wind project supports the state’s aggressive renewable energy goals by providing an additional source of cost-competitive and clean electricity to the residents and businesses of Maui,"

The electricity generated from the Kaheawa Wind II project will be sold to MECO under a 20 year power purchase agreement (PPA) at a pre-fixed price.

The PPA has been approved by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission.

The project will help the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative advance in achieving the set goal of producing 70% of the total energy from renewable sources by 2030.

Maui Electric president Sharon Suzuki said developing more clean energy while maintaining reliable service is a priority and the addition of battery storage to the Kaheawa Wind II project will help the company achieve this goal.

"This expansion is a significant step toward reaching our clean energy goals and will help reduce the impact of oil prices on our customers," Suzuki added.

RMT company constructed the Kaheawa Wind II and administered all civil and electrical infrastructure work which included a 34.5/69-kV substation, 34.5kV electrical collection system, and interconnection to the 69 kV Maui Electric Company (MECO) transmission line.

The project possesses a modern battery energy storage system developed by Xtreme Power that aids in improving the performance of the wind project and also smoothening the electricity fluctuations.