Black amp; Veatch has been selected by AES Clean Energy (AES) to serve as owner's engineer for the pumped-storage and hydropower component of the West Kaua'i Energy Project on the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i. The US company will support AES in developing technical design criteria for hydropower and hydraulic structures for the project, providing design and constructability reviews, reviewing technical and procurement specifications, carrying out factory inspections and witnessing acceptance testing, as well as providing construction and commissioning support, it announced on 8 November. The West Kaua'i Energy Project (WKEP), an integrated renewable energy and irrigation project that includes pumped storage and conventional hydropower, solar PV generation and battery storage, is a key component in the state's decarbonization plans. Combining a 35 MW solar PV system with 240 MWh of pumped storage, it will play a major role in helping Kaua'i achieve more than 80 per cent renewable generation and fulfill up to 25 per cent of the Pacific island's energy needs. It will also help the state move closer to its target of 100 per cent locally produced renewable energy by 2045. When complete, the project will reduce dependency on fossil fuels, offsetting the use of around 39 million litres of fossil fuels annually, for the island's more than 70 000 residents.
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