BAE Systems (www.baesystems.com) has started work on the installation of a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant at Portsmouth Naval Base; this will recycle energy, reduce the base’s carbon footprint and save the Ministry of Defence up to £4 million per year in energy costs.The energy and electrical requirements of the base have been increased by the arrival of the first Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier in its home port. 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: “We will be able to recycle energy consumption on the 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.”

A CHP system produces electricity and heat from a single fuel source and can retain excess heat that would otherwise be wasted. A former boiler house will be converted o create the new facility, and the projectis due to be completed by the end of 2018.

The £12 million contract for the CHP facility forms an amendment to the Maritime Services Delivery Framework contract, awarded to BAE Systems by the Ministry of Defence in 2014. Under this 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.