New facility eliminates 6,137 tons of carbon and saves city nearly
$190,000 in electricity costs annually
Veolia Energy Baltimore Cooling LLP, a subsidiary of Veolia
North America, the world’s leading provider of environmental
solutions and optimized resource management, today opened a new chilled
water plant, the result of a successful collaboration among Veolia, the
City of Baltimore, the Baltimore Convention Center (BCC) and the
Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA). The project represents a victory for
sustainable district energy infrastructure and the potential for green
technology to improve energy efficiencies and customers’ quality of life
while also stimulating the local economy.
The 5,400 ton capacity Plant 1 facility, housed inside the BCC, will
provide chilled water to the Convention Center, Camden Station at Oriole
Park, as well as more than 50 major customers in Baltimore, ranging from
commercial buildings to hospitals and government facilities. As part of
an integrated system, Plant 1 connects with three other chilled water
plants operated by Veolia, increasing chilled water reliability and
redundancy.
This chilled water infrastructure supports a sustainable future for the
City of Baltimore. The plant will deliver a positive environmental
impact by both reducing the city’s greenhouse gas emissions and
improving air quality. In addition, by eliminating 60,000 pounds of
R-22, an ozone-depleting refrigerant, the new infrastructure is
alleviating potential safety concerns. Contributing to the city’s goal
of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent by 2020, equipment
efficiencies at the plant have reduced the City of Baltimore’s carbon
footprint by an additional 6,137 tons per year – the equivalent of
removing 1,177 cars from the road annually.
Plant 1 will also contribute to Baltimore’s economic sustainability,
saving the city an estimated $189,172 in annual electricity costs due to
the plant’s new efficient infrastructure. By utilizing nighttime
electricity reserves to produce up to 48,000 ton-hours of ice storage
capacity, the plant maximizes additional equipment efficiencies, while
also taking pressure off the grid during peak day-time hours.
The facility represents an $11.8 million dollar investment into green
energy and into the community by Veolia and its partners, with an
additional 80,000 man-hours of green jobs generated during construction
of the plant. The project also came in $2.1 million under budget thanks
to expert project management and the strategic partnership between
Veolia, the City of Baltimore, the BCC and the MSA.
“A cornerstone to the success of this project was the close
collaboration of public and private partners – a relationship that has
spanned over a decade,” said William J. DiCroce, president and CEO of
Veolia North America. “This project illustrates how great things can
happen when people come together under a common vision – conserve
energy, create jobs, reduce carbon pollution and improve the community’s
green energy infrastructure.”
“The new facility is a win-win for the environment and the economy
through the teamwork between Veolia, the City of Baltimore, the BCC and
the MSA,” said John Gibson, president and COO of Veolia’s Municipal &
Commercial business. “This collaboration enables us to bring improved
value to customers and the community. Due to the extraordinary
coordination of all involved, the project was delivered under-budget and
ahead of schedule, despite the challenging timeline. We look forward to
equally successful and beneficial partnerships with the city and our
stakeholders in the future.”
“Today, we recognize the shared achievement of public and private
partners who have reached a significant milestone in helping the City of
Baltimore meet its climate goals to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions 15
percent by 2020,” said Baltimore Mayor Catherine E. Pugh. “By working
together to improve our city’s district energy system, Veolia and its
partners are delivering more sustainable and resilient heating and
cooling infrastructure -- supporting economic growth in Baltimore City.”
“As sustainability and ‘green’ meetings become increasingly important in
the hospitality industry, we are challenged to find innovative ways to
leverage partnerships with our local and state governments, as well as
private industry, to satisfy the ever increasing expectations of our
clientele,” said Peggy Daidakis, executive director of the Baltimore
Convention Center. “The new Chilled Water Plant 1 is in step with
helping us reach our sustainability goals for cleaner, greener meetings.”
“By providing technical, legal and financial guidance, the Maryland
Stadium Authority is pleased to be part of the team that worked
tirelessly to ensure that the Baltimore Convention Center provides an
excellent customer experience that benefits the local economy and
environment,” said Michael Frenz, executive director of the Maryland
Stadium Authority.
Project Highlights
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Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 6,137 tons annually via
equipment efficiencies
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Construction cost savings totaling $2.1 million
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Annual electricity savings of approximately $189,172 per year
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Construction completed ahead of schedule
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60,000 lbs. of ozone-depleting R-22 refrigerant have been eliminated
Veolia group is the global leader in optimized resource
management. With over 163,000 employees worldwide, the Group designs and
provides water, waste and energy management solutions that contribute to
the sustainable development of communities and industries. Through its
three complementary business activities, Veolia helps to develop access
to resources, preserve available resources, and to replenish them. In
2016, the Veolia group supplied 100 million people with drinking water
and 61 million people with wastewater service, produced 54 million
megawatt hours of energy and converted 30 million metric tons of waste
into new materials and energy. Veolia Environnement (listed on Paris
Euronext: VIE) recorded consolidated revenue of €24.39 billion ($25.7
billion) in 2016. www.veolia.com
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