Question: Tanker ships anchor off shore every day for obvious reasons, but how do they offload their oil/fuel? Are there underwater pipes? I’ve never seen them go close to shore or seen ships come out to meet them.
Answer: There’s an offshore mooring that connects to undersea pipes. Marc Inouye, a spokesperson for the energy company Par Hawaii, explains how the system works:
“Our single point mooring (SPM), which is located about two miles off shore from Barbers Point, plays a critical role in our state’s energy security. Hawaii depends on petroleum for more than 80% of its energy needs. Since Hawaii does not have any crude oil sources, our state must import crude oil to the islands to make the fuels that Hawaii residents and businesses need. Par Hawaii takes on that responsibility. We arrange for tankers to bring crude oil to the single point mooring, which has undersea hoses that connect to steel pipelines that lead to our Kapolei refinery onshore, where the crude oil is transferred and processed into gasoline, diesel, fuel for jets and ships, fuel to generate electricity, and other products. The SPM can also transfer refined products to our refinery.
“We recently announced that we plan to invest $90 million to reconfigure one of the units at our refinery to process renewable feedstocks, such as soybean oil, by 2025, to produce renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel. This will be game-changing for the state as it will help reduce our dependence on imported oil, reduce our state’s emissions and carbon intensity, accelerate the decarbonization of transportation, and support the state in reaching its other clean energy goals.”
Storm prep
Hurricane season begins June 1, so it’s a good time for Hawaii households to review their disaster plans and restock their emergency kits. AARP Hawaii will host a free webinar on June 1 at 10 a.m. to help guide families, especially those with kupuna who may need extra assistance during a hurricane or other natural disaster. The webinar, “Prepare Your Home for Hurricane Season!,” will be led by Dennis Hwang, lead author of the Homeowner’s Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards, AARP Hawaii said in a news release.
To register and get a Zoom link for the webinar, go to states.aarp.org/hawaii/events-hi, scroll down until you see the webinar title and click on the link. All are welcome; you don’t have to be an AARP member to attend.
The fourth edition of the handbook, published by the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program, is available for free at 808ne.ws/hazbk.
Also, the website ready.gov, managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has easy-to-read guides to help households prepare for hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes and other natural disasters, which include checklists explaining what to put in your emergency kit. We’ll publish the basic list in a future column, for those without internet access.
Q: Does the city still mail out hard copy notices reminding people to renew their motor vehicle registration? I never got one.
A: Yes, a renewal notice is sent by regular mail one month in advance of the registration’s expiration date; the notice is mailed to the address on file for the vehicle’s registered owner, according to Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services. You can renew your vehicle’s registration without receiving the notice, but it does serve as a reminder to do so.
Mahalo
Many thanks to the shopper who invited me to go in front of her at the Manoa Safeway on Saturday. I was running late for the University of Hawaii graduation ceremony and she could tell I was stressed out and those extra few minutes helped! — Grateful mom
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
