US Navy To Spend $173m On Cleantech Energy Upgrades At Norfolk Naval Shipyard

by John Konrad (gCaptain) Ameresco ($AMRC), today announced a $173 million clean energy upgrade contract with the U.S. Navy to construct a new 19-megawatt (MW) combined heat and power (CHP) plant, a 3MW battery energy storage system, and a microgrid control system at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Virginia.

According to Ameresco, these upgrades will provide the shipyard with long-term energy security while reducing the electricity imported from the grid by 68 percent. As part of this modernization effort, Ameresco will refurbish existing backup power assets, integrate them into the microgrid, and upgrade the electric distribution system to provide redundant sources of supply.

This project also features a new industrial wastewater treatment plant, that Ameresco has already begun to build.  Tasked by the Navy with assessing potential green improvements, Ameresco developed a solution that produces enough savings from recycling water within the plant, enclosing exposed system components, and reducing operating costs to pay for the complete replacement of the site’s 40-year-old treatment plant.

After construction is completed in 2022, Ameresco will operate and maintain the CHP plant, treatment plant, and microgrid until January 2044. Each measure is designed to operate in compliance with military cybersecurity requirements.

Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) is the Navy’s primary East Coast repair, overhaul and modernization facility. NNSY is one four public shipyards that play a critical role in maintaining America’s fleet and providing a wartime surge capability to repair and upgrade the aging US Navy fleet.

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