Phase 2 Report: Oahu Wind Integration and Transmission Study

Feb. 8, 2011
This report provides an independent review including an initial evaluation of the technical configuration and capital costs of establishing an undersea cable system and examining impacts to the existing electric transmission systems as a result of interconnecting the islands.

The Stage 1 report for the Oahu Wind Integration and Transmission Study (OWITS) has been prepared for finalization. At the Technical Review Committee (TRC) meeting held in Honolulu January 6th and 7th, 2010, three scenarios were developed for future Study leading to Stage 2, the connection to Maui. These three scenarios are the end result of a productive evolution of ideas and study of electric power interconnection options beginning with the R.W. Beck report through to developing drafts of the NREL report.

This present study examines the technical challenges in implementing the Stage 2 Scenarios. Essentially the islands of Molokai, Lanai, and Maui are interconnected by AC cables in Stage 2 and as such must be synchronized with each other. The major development of the Stage 2 Scenarios is the termination of the electric interconnection from Maui at Lanai and/or Molokai rather than radial at 200 MW all the way to Oahu. This avoids a long undersea cable connection all the way to Oahu and allows an AC interconnection between the islands of Molokai, Lanai and Maui.

The technical challenge in implementing the Stage 2 development based on a Stage 1 interconnection of VSC undersea cable transmission to Oahu from Molokai and Lanai is in the synchronization of the wind farms on Molokai and Lanai and the power system on Maui together with the voltage sourced converters (VSC) at Molokai and/or Lanai...(read more...)

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