Framingham renewable energy company Ameresco has entered a $173-million energy savings performance contract to expand on-site generation, strengthen reliability and enhance resilience at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Virginia, the company announced on Friday.
Both parties have already broken ground on the project, during which Ameresco plans to construct a 19-megawatt combined heat and power plant, a 3-megawatt battery energy storage system and a microgrid control system aimed at providing the site with long-term energy security while also reducing electricity imported from the grid by 68%.
Ameresco will also refurbish existing backup power assets, integrate them into the microgrid and upgrade the electric distribution system.
“This project, which features both a new industrial water treatment plant and the integration of a new CHP plant and battery storage within a microgrid control system, will deliver long-term efficiency, reliability, and resiliency in support of the [Norfolk Naval Shipyard] mission,” said Nicole Bulgarino, executive vice president and general manager of Federal Solutions at Ameresco, in a statement.
Construction is expected to be complete in 2022.
