Energy Efficiency, Energy Storage, Industrial, Microgrids  -  February 13, 2020

U.S. Navy plans $58 million resiliency project for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

The U.S. Navy announced Feb. 12 that it has awarded $58 million to implement an energy resiliency project at its Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, which will feature on-site generation, battery storage and microgrid controls.

A primary focus of the energy savings performance contract is maximizing energy security of the facility and reducing energy costs. The award was given by the Navy to Ameresco's Federal Solutions team, who has previously partnered with the U.S. Navy on the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, meaning the Navy will not have to contribute up-front funding during the project's implementation phase with the promise of energy savings once the project is completed. The project is expected to be completed in 2022 and generate more than $175 million in guaranteed cost savings over the 22-year performance period, during which time Ameresco will operate and maintain the ESPC-delivered systems.

“By extending our partnership with PNSY to increase on-site generation, deploy energy storage, and integrate a broad range of generation assets into a fully independent microgrid, we will ensure that the Shipyard is able to continue providing high-quality service to Navy’s fleet,” Nicole Bulgarino, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Federal Solutions at Ameresco, said in a statement. “This project builds on our decades-long partnership with PNSY to assure the Shipyard’s vital national security mission, even in the event of a prolonged loss of utility.”

As part of the efficiency project, Ameresco will be installing a new 7.5 MW CHP plant to accommodate mission-critical loads in an expanded microgrid featuring intelligent controls and fast load shed capability. The existing 14 MW power plant and microgrid control system was installed in 2015 under the DoD's Environmental Security Technology Certification Program .

Additionally, a weather-resilient 1 MW/2 MWh battery energy storage system will be installed as part of an upgrade to the electrical distribution system to continuously monitor and intelligently dispatch on-site generation assets and imported power. A new 800 HP steam-turbine driven air compressor will also be installed to use cogenerated steam in place of grid purchased electricity to further increase the efficiency and resiliency of the shipyard.

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