Hawaiian Electric announced on June 7 that recent testing shows its biodiesel-fueled Schofield Generating Station will be able to power up a utility-owned microgrid consisting of three U.S. Army installations in the event of a major outage.

The inaugural test of the Schofield Generating Station’s microgrid capabilities, held May 22, affirmed that if power is lost at Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield and Field Station Kunia – all critical lifelines during an emergency – the three installations can be islanded and powered with 100 percent renewable energy from the Schofield-based power plant.

The 50-megawatt (MW) Schofield Generating station has been online since 2018. The facility is located on eight acres at Schofield Barracks that the Army is leasing to Hawaiian Electric. Although the facility is capable of operating on biodiesel or diesel, since commissioning the plant has operated on 100 percent locally refined biodiesel.

“Schofield Generating Station has been providing 100 percent renewable, reliable energy to our customers for several years now,” said Jack Shriver, Hawaiian Electric director of project development. “This successful test adds ‘resilient’ to that list. Schofield Generating Station can keep critical infrastructure operating during a major outage, hastening recovery.”

A full copy of Hawaiian Electric’s announcement is available on the company’s website.