Case Study - Power Plant Buildings

Keahole Combined-Cycle Power Plant

For most travel enthusiasts, Hawaii is known for its stunning beaches, delectable local cuisine, and endless opportunities to engage with nature.

However, most people don't realize that Hawaii is also the most isolated island group on earth and year-round home to over 1.4-million people who require electricity to live their day-to-day lives on the state's beautiful six main islands.

The island's residents and businesses – not to mention the tourists – look to Hawaii Electric Light Company, Inc. (HELCO), a subsidiary of the Hawaiian Electric Company, to provide the energy that has transformed the islands from a Hawaiian kingdom into a modern state.

The Keahole plant is located in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, on the Big Island and is one of HELCO's primary power-production facilities and the largest plant on the island. It features three combustion turbines that generate approximately 240 gigawatt-hours of energy each year – almost one-fourth of the entire power-generation capacity available on the island.

USSI is well known for acoustic building solutions and building noise control for the oil and gas industries, but we are also well known in the power generation industry. For decades, USSI has been designing and installing some of the most challenging and complex powerhouse buildings in North America.

Building Specifications:

The Keahole combined-cycle plant buildings located in Kona, HI., were designed by USSI to meet one of the most restrictive noise ordinances in the world. The gas turbines, CT4 and CT5, and the STG (steam turbine generator) buildings were designed using USSI's proprietary acoustic roof and wall system 12S54 that is equivalent to an STC 54.