Manufacturer Reports

Honeywell to Tackle Facility Upgrades at Rock Island Arsenal

Extensive Building Upgrades Expected to Provide $5.3 Million in Annual Savings

MINNEAPOLIS — Honeywell and the U.S. Army have announced a $61 million modernization project at the Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing Technology Center (JMTC). The project will support infrastructure improvements at the facility that are expected to cut energy use by approximately 35 percent, and generate up to $5.3 million in annual energy and operational savings.

The Army launched the technology center upgrades through a 20-year energy savings performance contract with Honeywell that was awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineering and Support Center in Huntsville, Ala. Honeywell guarantees the improvements will generate the target savings, which should repay the investment used to fund the work. As a result, the project requires no capital or additional taxpayer dollars upfront.

The 1.5-million-square-foot JMTC manufactures a wide variety of metal parts and systems for the Department of Defense, and is part of the Rock Island Arsenal Garrison located in Rock Island, Ill., the largest government-owned and operated arsenal in the U.S.

As part of the project, Honeywell will implement a variety of facility improvements, which includes installing high-efficiency HVAC systems, such as on-premise natural gas heating that will allow the facility to disconnect from the garrison’s central coal-fired steam plant. Another major upgrade is new plating and paint systems for the technology center. Almost 90 percent of the parts produced at the facility go through plating and paint, receiving the surface coatings necessary to build hardened, durable components for Army equipment.

“Why pay bills that are higher than necessary because of energy waste?” said Paul Orzeske, president of Honeywell Building Solutions. “By improving overall efficiency, we’re able to use part of the current utility spend to solve complex infrastructure challenges. JMTC is a cornerstone of the community, and its aggressive approach to energy management will help ensure its legacy of service and support to the military and country.”

The project will save nearly 5.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year — enough energy to power almost 490 homes on average. In addition, the Honeywell work is expected to deliver environmental benefits. As a result of transitioning to natural gas heating, for example, annual coal use at the central plant will drop by approximately 12,000 tons.

The project is expected to be completed by the first half of 2017.

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