Geothermal plant reaches heated rock at depth of 5,700 feet
Puna Geothermal Venture finished drilling a new well earlier this month intended to offset a drop in production at the 38-megawatt power plant outside Pahoa. PGV reached rock heated by geothermal activity along Kilauea’s East Rift Zone at a depth of 5,700 feet May 3 after about three months of drilling, said Mike Kaleikini, senior director of Hawaiian Affairs for Ormat Technologies, PGV’s parent company.
The exact temperature of the rock isn’t yet known, but most active wells average about 600 degrees, he said. PGV next will work to connect the well to the power plant. Kaleikini said that should be done by about mid-August. Until then, it won’t be known how productive the well will be, he said. “We’re hopeful in August we will be able to gauge what the new well is capable of.
The power plant is producing 26 MW of electricity. It has a contract with Hawaii Electric Light Co. to produce 38 MW.
