New CHP Plant to cut energy costs at U.K. naval base

Artist's rendering of new Combined Heat and Power Plant at the U.K.'s Portsmouth Naval Base

AUGUST 6, 2017—A new Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant at Portsmouth Naval Base in the U.K. that will recycle energy, is expected to save the U.K.’s Ministry of Defense up to £4 million per year in energy costs.

Energy and electrical requirements at the naval base are set to increase when the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers arrive in their home port. BAE Systems, which is managing the base on behalf of the Royal Navy, is developing a dedicated CHP facility will not only meet this demand, but also increase energy efficiency across the site.

Chris Courtaux, Head of Engineering and Energy Services at BAE Systems, said: “By developing this new facility we will be able to recycle energy consumption on the naval base, as well as deliver a significant cost saving. This is an innovative solution to support the largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy.

“We continue to work closely with the Royal Navy to deliver long-term energy cost savings to the naval base. This underlines our commitment to support the MOD’s drive to create a more modern and energy-efficient naval base for the 21st century.”

A CHP system produces electricity and heat from a single fuel source and is able to retain excess heat which would have otherwise been wasted. To create this new facility a former boiler house will be converted and is due to be completed by the end of 2018.

The £12million contract for the CHP facility forms an amendment to the Maritime Services Delivery Framework (MSDF) contract, awarded to BAE Systems by the Ministry of Defense in 2014. Under the MSDF contract, BAE Systems manages Portsmouth Naval Base on behalf of the Royal Navy, as well as supporting half of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet on UK and global operations.

Iain Greenlees, Captain Royal Navy, Head of Infrastructure at Portsmouth Naval Base, said, “As the largest energy consumer across defense, making a radical change to both the cost and carbon footprint of Portsmouth Naval Base is a rare and really exciting opportunity.”