For 30 years, Pacific Biodiesel Technologies LLC has focused on renewable fuel production. Now, the company is expanding operations to Kauai, demonstrating the viability of producing biofuels from locally grown oilseed crops.

Hawaii’s Push for Domestic Biofuel Production

Founded in Maui in 1995, Pacific Biodiesel is the longest-running biodiesel producer in the U.S., according to co-founder Kelly King. In 2024, the company expanded to Kauai through a multi-year agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ R&D Center Construction Engineering Research Laboratory. The goal: assess whether Hawaii-grown oilseed crops can support a scalable biofuel industry.

“The project is going well,” King says. “The Kauai community has been very receptive to our regenerative farming.” Current farming practices include minimum tillage, mechanical weeding instead of herbicides, and using non-GMO seeds to maintain soil health.

A newly operational crush mill on Kauai can now process 40 tons of oilseeds per day. The facility is designed for multi-feedstock capability, handling crops like sunflowers and macadamia nuts. Upgrades include increased storage, improved seed conveying, an expeller press, oil filtration, and expanded press cake storage.

Over the years, Pacific Biodiesel has processed a range of feedstocks, including used cooking oil, tallow, fish oil, palm oil, and grease trap oil. The latest expansion builds on this experience, integrating locally grown oilseeds into its supply chain.

Evaluating Sunflowers and Camelina as Feedstocks

Since April 2024, Pacific Biodiesel has planted 300 acres of sunflowers on Kauai, with plans to expand to 1,000 acres. The company is also trialing camelina, which matures in 65 days, as a potential rotation crop.

“Sunflowers are well suited for our conditions,” King says. “They suppress weeds, their deep roots improve soil structure, and they have a short 120-day crop cycle with high oil content.”

One challenge has been managing bird predation. To minimize crop loss without using pesticides, the company is adjusting harvest schedules and adding processing technology, such as a dehuller and seed dryer.

Meeting Biodiesel Standards and Market Demand

All biodiesel produced continues to meet or exceed ASTM D6751 standards. “We test every batch before it’s sold,” King says, reinforcing the importance of quality control as the company expands feedstock diversity.

Pacific Biodiesel has purchased over 100,000 pounds of off-spec macadamia nuts this year, providing processors with an alternative market for unsellable nuts. The company is also producing value-added products, including macadamia nut and sunflower oils for culinary use. Used cooking oil from restaurants is then collected and processed into biodiesel, creating a closed-loop system.

Biodiesel’s Role in Hawaii’s Renewable Energy Goals

Pacific Biodiesel supplies biodiesel to the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) as part of Hawaii’s push for 100% renewable electricity by 2033. KIUC currently blends a small amount of biodiesel with ultra-low sulfur diesel at its Kapaia Power Station and expects to increase biodiesel use in the coming years.

In October 2024, Pacific Biodiesel received the Pacific Climate Business Climate Champion award for its role in renewable fuels. The company has also been recognized for its workplace practices, earning 14 consecutive “Best Places to Work” awards from Hawaii Business.

“We remain focused on developing viable feedstocks and refining our processes,” King says. “Scaling production while maintaining sustainability will be key as the industry moves forward.”

History of Pacific Biodiesel Plants

Since 1995, Pacific Biodiesel has designed and constructed 12 biodiesel facilities in the United States, including three Hawaii and one in Japan:
• Alaska Green Waste Solutions, Anchorage, AK.
• Bently Biofuels, Minden, NY.
• Energy Alternative Solutions, Inc., Gonzales, CA.
• Keystone Biofuels, Shiremanstown, PA.
• Maryland Biodiesel, Berlin, MD.
• Oceanside Wastewater Treatment Plant, San Francisco, CA.
• Pacific Biodiesel Texas, Hillsboro, TX.
• SeQuential Pacific, Salem, OR.
• Virginia Biodiesel Refinery, West Point, VA.
• Yoshida Kosan, Nagano, Japan.

Currently, Pacific Biodiesel’s operations are all in Hawaii Past and current plants are:
• Maui pilot plant: Opened in 1996, closed in 2014; 250,000 gallons of production a year, later expanded to 750,000 gallons a year; used cooking oil.
• Oahu: Opened in 2002 with one million gallons annual capacity; used cooking oil, tallow, and some experimental feedstocks such as fish oil from Alaska and palm oil from California. Currently, the Oahu plant is used mainly to process oil feedstocks for the Big Island biodiesel plant.
• Big Island Biodiesel: Opened in 2012 with 5.5 million gallons a year (mgpy) production, now increased to 6 mgpy; processes all biodiesel in Hawaii from used cooking oil and tallow to grease trap waste and any oil from local agricultural oilseeds.
Source: Pacific Biodiesel