The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has awarded a contract to Siemens Government Technologies to construct the federal government’s largest wind farm.
The Pantex wind farm is expected to save an average of $2.9m annually over the 20-year contract term, Siemens said in a May 14 statement. The installation will consist of five 2.3-MW turbines located on 1,500 acres of government-owned property east of the Pantex plant in Amarillo, Texas.
Using an Energy Savings Performance Contract, Siemens said it will provide a turnkey wind farm system that includes a multi-year service, maintenance and warranty agreement. The cost of the project will be funded by the energy savings guaranteed by Siemens and will enable Pantex to meet President Obama’s directive for agencies to meet federal energy mandates as well as supporting the Department of Energy’s renewable energy goals.
The wind farm is expected to generate roughly 47 million kilowatt hours of clean energy annually, which is more than 60% of the electricity required annually for the Pantex facility.
“As a world leader in the wind industry, Siemens will bring reliable, secure, renewable energy to the critical mission at the NNSA Pantex plant,” said Judy Marks, president and CEO of Siemens Government Technologies. “Mission execution and guaranteed savings are Siemens hallmarks in the federal market and we look forward to delivering both for the NNSA on this landmark project.”
The NNSA was established by Congress in 2000 as a separate agency within the DOE, responsible for the management and security of the nation’s nuclear weapons, nuclear nonproliferation and naval reactor programs.
