DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY – SAVANNAH RIVER SITE BIOMASS COGENERATION FACILITY, SC
Contract Details
Contract Type:
Energy Savings Performance Contract;
Guaranteed Energy Savings;
Renewable Energy; Biomass
Facility Size:
More than 300 sq. miles
Energy Project Size:
$795 Million, Task Order Award 2009
$154 Million, Modification Awarded 2014
The SRS Biomass Cogeneration Facility replaced a deteriorating and inefficient 1950s-era coal powerhouse and oil-fired boilers. The existing plant has the
capacity to combust 285,000 tons of forest residue into 100,000 megawatts of clean power annually.
Energy Savings:
Customer Benefits
Today, the plant sustains more than 27 full-time jobs
Over $34.3 million annually
In 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
on-site. Ameresco will continue to operate and
awarded Ameresco an Energy Savings Performance
maintain the $195 million (construction value)
Summary
Contract (ESPC) to finance, design, construct,
renewable energy facility through a 20-year plant
In May 2009, Ameresco was awarded
operate, maintain, and fuel a Biomass Cogeneration
performance agreement. Under the budget-neutral
Facility under a 19-year fixed price contract valued at
ESPC, the biomass cogeneration facility is expected
$795 million.
to generate $944 million of energy, water, operations
an ESPC task order for design,
construction and operation of three
biomass-fueled renewable plants at
and maintenance savings. During the first three years
Under the contract, Ameresco constructed and
of operation the biomass facility has generated
operates and maintains a biomass-fueled steam
approximately 5.8 billion pounds of steam, over 1,400
cogeneration plant and two smaller biomass-fueled
million pounds of steam exported in support site
maintaining their 1950s-vintage boilers,
plants at the DOE Savannah River Site (SRS) in
operations, and over 330,000 MW of electricity.
and at the same time, meeting the
Aiken, South Carolina. The facility has been
requirements of the Clean Air Act and
operational since January 2012.
the DOE Savannah River Site (SRS).
SRS was experiencing challenges
other mandated improvements in energy
In 2014, DOE awarded Ameresco a $154 million
modification to the original ESPC to increase critical
efficiency and increased use of
The SRS biomass facilities are long-term national
steam security and to provide an additional electrical
renewable energy.
assets in the areas of environmental stewardship and
generation of an average 3-4 MW of green power to
innovative technology. Ameresco constructed the 20
SRS. Under the modification, Ameresco will construct
megawatt (MW) capacity Biomass Cogeneration
a new biomass heating plant with a new fuel yard and
Facility to replace a deteriorating and inefficient
additional plant auxiliaries. The construction-only
1950s-era coal powerhouse and oil-fired boilers. The
value of the modification is $39.3 million. The new
renewable energy plants are designed to reduce
plant will be located in the southeast corner of the
carbon emissions annually by 100,000 tons and
existing 35-acre Ameresco site. In addition to
reduce site water consumption by an estimated 1.4
providing Operations & Maintenance (O&M) services
billion gallons of water a year from the Savannah
for the original biomass cogeneration facility,
River.
Ameresco will also provide turnkey O&M services for
the new equipment over the modified 20-year
The plant combusts approximately 285,000 tons of
Renewable Energy World awarded the SRS the 2012
Excellence in Renewable Energy Award for Biomass
Project of the Year.
AW A R ' ‡ 2 0 1 2
Groundbreaker of the Year
SAVANNAH RIVER SITE
BIOMASS COGENERATION FACILITY
Department of Energy
Biomass Power & Thermal
BBI International
performance period term.
forest residue for site process steam and the
generation of 100,000 MW of on-site renewable
More than 20 million tons of forest residue are
energy annually—generating up to half of the
generated annually in the state of South Carolina.
necessary energy to power the 300 square mile SRS
There are numerous sources of clean biomass within
facility. Over 600,000 hours of construction and
a 100-mile radius of the project site. The use of
operational labor were invested into the 30-month
renewable energy fuel sources provides many
construction of the plant.
positive economic and environmental benefits to the
SRS, and to the entire Central Savannah River Area.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY – SAVANNAH RIVER SITE BIOMASS COGENERATION FACILITY, SC
About the Savannah River Site
Accolades
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“In support of the Department’s clean energy efforts,
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this project demonstrates the Savannah River Site’s
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commitment to promote clean and efficient energy
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operations. This is the Department’s largest biomass
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cogeneration facility, and represents a unique way of
contracting, which allows partnering with industry for
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construction and operations, and reduces the cost to
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the Government, while producing real energy and
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environmental benefits.”
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The clean biomass will consist primarily of various types of forest residues,
and the bio-derived fuels (BDF) will consist primarily of scrap tires and pallets.
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Key benefits of the SRS biomass project include:
Services Provided
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About Ameresco
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For more information about
Ameresco and our full range of
energy efficiency and renewable
energy solutions, please visit
www.ameresco.com.
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