Today, officials from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Ameresco,
Inc., a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy company, came
together to mark the first year of successful operation of its new
renewable energy fueled cogeneration facility at the Savannah River Site
(SRS). Under the Department’s single largest renewable Energy
Savings Performance Contract (ESPC), the DOE contracted with
Ameresco in 2009 to finance, design, construct, operate, maintain and
fuel the 34-acre renewable energy facility over the term of the 20-year
contract.
![The DOE Savannah River Site Biomass Cogeneration Facility in Aiken, South Carolina. (Photo: Business ...](http://mms.businesswire.com/bwapps/mediaserver/ViewMedia?mgid=360175&vid=4)
The DOE Savannah River Site Biomass Cogeneration Facility in Aiken, South Carolina. (Photo: Business Wire)
One year ago, the SRS Biomass Cogeneration Facility began commercial
operation and replaced the 1950s-era deteriorating, inefficient coal
powerhouse and oil-fired boilers. Thursday morning’s ceremony celebrates
the first full year of operational success, specifically highlighting
its performance, safety record, and environmental compliance.
In the first year the facility operated without interruption, averaging
200,000 pounds of steam per hour while generating a total of 1.67
billion pounds of steam and 97,000 megawatts of electricity. The plant
processed more than 10,000 tons of tires and 221,000 tons of clean
biomass, consisting of local forest residue and wood chips. There were
no recordable safety issues during the first year of operation, equating
to more than 115,500 man hours without incident.
“Today recognizes the teamwork from the DOE/Ameresco Project Team that
successfully steered this project safely and efficiently through its
first year of operation,” said David Moody, DOE Savannah River Manager.
“The SRS Biomass Cogeneration Facility supports the Department’s energy
efficiency and sustainability goals, and with the success of this
facility, it shows SRS is working to meet national challenges in
strategic areas such as sustainability and clean energy.”
“Looking back over the first year of operational efficiency and success,
the SRS Biomass Cogeneration Facility continues to be an outstanding
example of how a public-private partnership can help create
transformative energy infrastructures and improve sustainability,” said
Keith Derrington, Executive Vice President, Federal Solutions, Ameresco.
“An award-winning project such as this one is representative of how a
large-scale sustainable power resource can become a reality through a
budget-neutral ESPC solution without additional up-front cost.”
ESPCs are contracts in which private companies finance, install, and
maintain new energy- and water-efficient equipment in federal
facilities. The government pays no up-front cost, therefore saving
taxpayer dollars, and the company's investment is repaid over time by
the agency from the cost savings generated by the new equipment. This
allows the government to use the private sector to purchase more
energy-efficient systems and improve the energy performance of their
facilities at no extra cost to the agency or taxpayers.
Since construction began in 2009, the project sustained and created an
estimated 800 jobs spanning the mechanical, construction, engineering
and supplier sectors over the 30-month construction period. Now at full
operations, the plant continues to support job growth with an onsite
operations team and by supporting the local logging community. In
addition, the Ameresco Tire Processing Facility near SRS accepts and
recycles tires from within a 100-mile radius of the facility and
supports the local community. Currently, there are multiple suppliers
providing biomass fuel sources to the new SRS Biomass Cogeneration
Facility. It is estimated that there are 200 jobs affected by the
Biomass Plant between suppliers, maintenance contracts, and testing.
During 2012, the SRS Biomass Cogeneration Facility has been recognized
for excellence and was the recipient of a variety of prestigious awards.
Some include: Office of Environmental Management, United States
Department of Energy, Best in Class, 2012 Sustainability Award; Office
of Environmental Management, United States Department of Energy, In
Recognition of Outstanding Sustainability Projects and Practices;
Renewable Energy World Network, Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards,
Bioenergy Project of the Year 2012; and 2012 Groundbreaker of the Year,
International Biomass Conference & Expo produced by BBI International,
Ameresco and United States Department of Energy.
About Ameresco, Inc.
Founded in 2000, Ameresco, Inc.
(NYSE:AMRC) is a leading independent provider of comprehensive services,
energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, asset sustainability and
renewable energy solutions for facilities throughout North America.
Ameresco’s services include upgrades to a facility’s energy
infrastructure and the development, construction and operation of
renewable energy plants. Ameresco has successfully completed energy
saving, environmentally responsible projects with federal, state and
local governments, healthcare and educational institutions, housing
authorities, and commercial and industrial customers. With its corporate
headquarters in Framingham, MA, Ameresco provides local expertise
through its 63 offices in 34 states and five Canadian provinces.
Ameresco has more than 900 employees. For more information, visit www.ameresco.com.
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