Greentech Lead America: The Department of Energy (DOE)
and Ameresco, a renewable energy company, announced that they have started a
new $795 million renewable energy fueled facility at the Savannah River Site
(SRS).
The SRS Biomass Cogeneration Facility replaced an
inefficient coal powerhouse and oil-fired boilers. The new facility is expected
to generate an estimated $944 million in savings in energy, operation and
maintenance costs over the duration of the contract.
This project is the single largest renewable Energy
Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) in the nation’s history. DOE signed onto an
ESPC with Ameresco
in 2009 to finance, design, construct, operate, maintain, and fuel the new
biomass facility under a 20-year fixed price contract valued at $795 million.
“The SRS Biomass Cogeneration facility is the
pinnacle of success in the Site’s contributions to support the Department’s
energy efficiency goals. Startup of this renewable energy facility is proof in
motion that we are committed to E.SRS initiatives geared toward utilizing SRS’
assets and the knowledge and expertise of our workforce to secure a high-impact
future for SRS and to meet national challenges in strategic areas like clean
energy,” said DOE-SR Manager Moody.
SRS Biomass facility utilizes clean biomass, consisting
of local forest residue and wood chips, and bio-derived fuels as the primary
fuel source. The facility has the capacity to combust 385,000 tons of forest
residue into 20-megawatts of clean power annually.
The facility has replaced the inefficient D Area
Powerhouse with the biomass facility to save energy. Switching from coal to
biomass fuel has added health and environmental benefits tied to air emission
reductions, including avoiding 100,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per
year.
The project sustained and created an estimated 800 jobs,
spanning the mechanical, construction, engineering, and supplier sectors. Fully
operational, the plant will employ 25 fulltime jobs onsite and support the
local logging community.
“Today is the capstone on what has been a tremendous
endeavor for our partnership. Together with the Department of Energy, the
Savannah River Site, the State of South Carolina and our local and regional
partners, we’ve built an award-winning, large-scale sustainable power
resource,” said Sakellaris, president & CEO, Ameresco.
Ameresco recently
announced an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) with the McAllen
Independent School District (McAllen ISD), one of the largest districts in the
Rio Grande Valley.