Imperium shuts doors in Hawaii, closes chapter; will supply HECO from Washington state
In Hawaii, Imperium Renewables closed the door on a once-bright Hawaiian future when it closed its Honolulu office and laid off additional personnel, including Chief Operating Officer David Leonard. The company had planned to construct a $90 million biodiesel plant and supply Hawaiian Electric’s newest power plant with up to 12 Mgy.
The company, which did not proceed with a planned IPO this year, has scaled back plant construction, laid off more than half its staff, and intends to supply HECO with biodiesel from its Washington state-based biodiesel plant. HECO will pass along the added costs for production and distribution to consumers under an existing agreement with the Hawaiian state Public Utilities Commission.
