photo courtesy the Keahole Center for Sustainability

(BIVN) – The Natural Energy Lab of Hawai‘i Authority’s Hawai‘i Ocean and Science Technology Park in Kona will soon be reopen to public tours once again.

On Wednesday, November 18, the nonprofit Keahole Center for Sustainability will begin offering guided tours at NELHA’s science park. The tours were waylaid by the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year.

From the Keahole Center for Sustainability:

Tours begin at HOST’S iconic Gateway Energy Center, Hawai‘i’s first certified LEED Platinum resource-efficient building. Easily visible from Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway, the center offers displays about HOST tenants.

Guests will learn how the center is cooled by cold, deep-sea water pumped ashore by the Natural Energy Lab of Hawai‘i Authority (NELHA) and how HOST cutting-edge businesses and research operations are utilizing the nutrient-rich water to create products. The activity also shares how HOST facilities are working to protect and restore our unique ocean inhabitants.

On-site fun includes a visit to the world’s largest operational Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) power plant, the HNEI Hydrogen Fuel Station, the HATCH Accelerator, Hale Iaco business incubator and Keahole Point.

Tours are 10 a.m.-noon Mondays, Tuesday, Wednesdays and Fridays—excluding holidays. Participation is limited to small groups and wearing of a face mask is mandatory. Participants are encouraged to bring water, wear sunscreen and a hat.

The public can register for the tours online at kschi.org.