Hawaii Gas eyes renewable natural gas

Clean energy firm Hawaii Gas is looking to replace most of its current fuel base with renewable natural gas.

According to Pacific Business News, the company, which is owned by US-based infrastructure specialist Macquarie Infrastructure Corporation, has issued a request for proposals to purchase raw biogas and, or, bio-methane, also referred to as renewable natural gas, in Hawaii or elsewhere.

Hawaii Gas is trying to figure out where it can get these sources from and at what price, according to the report.

Interested suppliers are to submit their proposals by March 7.

Hawaii Gas is targeting as much as 8,000 MMBtu (Million British thermal units) per day, equal to roughly 10 ISO containers of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Apart from purchasing it, the company is also exploring the possibility of developing potential sources in partnership local landowners and developers, according to the report.

Hawaii Gas will not need to make any major upgrades in order to incorporate the renewable natural gas into its synthetic natural gas and LNG sources. It will compensate for the intermittence of the former by possibly blending it with LNG.

The plan, which would be for a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years, still needs the approval from the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission.