MMA Launches Hu Honua Bioenergy Facility in Hawaii

MMA Renewable Ventures, a subsidiary of Municipal Mortgage & Equity, has launched the Hu Honua bioenergy facility in the community of Pepeekeo, on the Hamakua Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island.

The 24MW power station will convert locally grown biomass into electricity, supporting Hawaii’s aggressive renewable energy targets, the company said. The carbon-neutral power plant also supports economic development and energy independence within the island state, which relies on imported fossil fuels for 90% of its energy needs.

Supplying energy directly to the regional utility grid, Hu Honua will deliver enough electricity to power approximately 18,000 homes on the Big Island, or between 7% and 10% of the island’s total energy needs.

Employing plant materials that otherwise go unused, the power plant is expected to stimulate the local agricultural industry and prevent tens of thousands of tons of green waste from taking up scarce space in Hawaii’s landfills each year.