Hawaii

Hawaii Gas, the state’s sole natural gas utility, has been tapped by Honolulu authorities to buy biogas from a municipal wastewater treatment plant and turn it into pipeline-quality synthetic natural gas (SNG) for retail customers on Oahu.

Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. (HEI) has scrapped plans for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) contract with Fortis Hawaii Energy Inc. as well as plans to convert an existing power plant to natural gas following the termination of its proposed merger with NextEra Energy Inc.

Hawaii leaders have set a goal to use 100% renewables by 2045, but liquefied natural gas (LNG) may be a viable and cost-saving supplement to the use of synthetic natural gas (SNG) by Hawaii Gas as a primary fuel in the interim, according to the results of an 18-month bidding process by the state’s only regulated gas utility.

Hawaii Gas has released a request for proposals (RFP) seeking supplies of renewable natural gas (RNG) in the form of raw biogas and/or bio-methane as part of its previously announced fuel diversification strategy, which includes containerized shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) (see Daily GPI,Oct. 30, 2014).

Prospective merger partners NextEra Energy Inc. and Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. (HEI) Monday emphasized their commitment to the Aloha State’s renewables-only by 2045 energy plans after Gov. David Ige reversed his support for more liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports. The companies are in agreement, they said, in an announcement that mentioned natural gas only once and LNG not at all.

A former supporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), the governor of Hawaii said Wednesday that “liquid” natural gas has no place in his plans to transform his state to 100% renewable energy.

Hawaii Gas, the island state’s principal gas utility, has filed with the state regulatory commission to convert up to 30% of its synthetic natural gas (SNG) production at an Oahu-based plant to lower-cost liquefied natural gas (LNG) it plans to import from the North American mainland.

Honolulu-based Hawaii Gas, the state’s only franchised gas distribution utility, took its first shipment of containerized liquefied natural gas (LNG) on April 2. In what are projected to be regular shipments from the mainland, Hawaii Gas will use the LNG as a backup for its synthetic natural gas (SNG) operations.

Hawaii state regulators last Thursday gave the green light to importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments from the U.S. mainland to supplement an ongoing synthetic gas operation on Oahu, which includes Honolulu.