The US Navy has announced it will implement a $58 million energy resiliency project at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) in Kittery, Maine. This energy savings performance contract (ESPC) features on-site generation, battery storage, and microgrid controls to address the Navy’s priority of maximizing energy security at the Shipyard while reducing energy costs. Because ESPCs leverage the guaranteed savings the projects generate to secure third-party financing, the Navy will not have to contribute up-front funding during the project’s implementation phase.
Ameresco’s Federal Solutions team is handling the project. Ameresco will expand on PNSY’s existing 14 MW power plant by installing a new 7.5 MW combined heat and power (CHP) plant. These new assets will build upon existing infrastructure to provide a higher level of redundancy for mission-critical loads within an expanded microgrid with intelligent controls and fast load shed capability. Ameresco installed the existing microgrid control system in 2015 as part of a Department of Defense (DoD) grant administered under the DoD’s Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP).
Ameresco is also deploying a 1.0 MW/2.0 MWh battery energy storage system and upgrading the site’s electrical distribution system. The microgrid control system will continuously monitor and intelligently dispatch on-site generation assets and imported power supporting the Shipyard’s critical missions. The new CHP plant will also provide substantial resiliency with respect to the site’s steam requirements, particularly during the severe winter weather typical of the region.
Another component of the project involves the installation of a new 800 HP steam-turbine driven air compressor that will serve the Shipyard’s extensive industrial compressed air loads utilizing “free” cogenerated steam as opposed to grid purchased electricity. This will dovetail with the expanded onsite generation to enhance the efficiency and resiliency of the site’s industrial processes. All measures are designed to operate in compliance with all relevant Department of Defense and Navy cybersecurity requirements.
After construction is completed in 2022, Ameresco will operate and maintain ESPC-delivered systems until January 2044. The ESPC will generate more than $175 million in guaranteed cost savings over the 22-year performance period following construction.
