Case Study: Savannah River Site achieves $36.2M annual energy savings and 100,000 ton CO2 reduction with Ameresco biomass cogeneration

Savannah River Site - Customer Case Study

Savannah River Site faced an aging 1950s coal powerhouse and oil‑fired boilers that threatened mission‑critical steam reliability, energy costs, and environmental goals across its 300+ square‑mile facility. In 2009 the U.S. Department of Energy awarded Ameresco an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) — under the DOE BAMF program — to finance, design, construct, operate, maintain and fuel a biomass cogeneration solution to replace the obsolete plants and improve resilience and sustainability.

Ameresco delivered a 20 MW biomass‑fueled cogeneration facility (plus two smaller biomass plants) that has operated since January 2012 and was expanded by a 2014 modification to add additional steam capacity. The system produces up to half of SRS’s on‑site energy and 295,000 lb/hr of steam, combusts roughly 300,000 tons of forest residue, and yields measurable benefits including ~100,000 tons/year CO2 reduction, ~1.4 billion gallons/year less water withdrawn from the Savannah River, annual energy savings of about $36.2 million (with budget‑neutral ESPC savings projected at $944 million over the contract), while creating ~800 construction jobs and sustaining 30+ permanent on‑site jobs. Ameresco continues to operate and maintain the facilities under the performance agreement.

Savannah River Site