DND awards $12.5M infrastructure greening contract at CFB Comox

The Department of National Defence awarded a new energy performance contract (EPC) to upgrade infrastructure at CFB Comox. A total of 105 facilities at the Base will be upgraded, reducing the energy costs in the region by nearly $250,000 annually, or 13 percent. Energy retrofits will also lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by over 1,820 tonnes per year or 32 percent. That’s the equivalent of taking more than 350 cars off the road.

The $12.5-million contract for this work was awarded to MCW Custom Energy Solutions of Toronto, Ontario. Work is expected to begin in early 2022, and we anticipate all retrofits and upgrades will be completed in early 2023, with the full reduction in energy costs by fall 2023.

This project will help us meet our target of reducing our GHG emissions by 40 percent by 2025, five years ahead of schedule, and will contribute to the federal government’s target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

“It is critical that we take steps as an organization to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions,” said Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence. “Energy performance contracts like this are an effective means to green and modernize our infrastructure while, at the same time, lowering energy costs for the base. All of these retrofits and upgrades at Bases and Wings across Canada add up – we will continue to invest in greening our facilities as we work toward meeting our emissions targets and securing a greener future for Canadians.”

An energy performance contract is a contract with an energy services company, where the company finances energy retrofit projects at a base or wing and guarantees the savings. DND then uses the savings from the reduction in our energy costs to pay back the company over a five- to 15-year period, limiting upfront costs for the government.

Featured image: 19 Wing Commander Lt.-Co.l Rhonda Stevens (left), Col. Bryn Elliott (right), Maj.-Gen E.J. Kenny (centre). Back row, CWO D.A. Campbell, 1 Cdn Air Div/CANR CWO (left) and CWO Don Farr 19 Wing CWO (right). (19 Wing CFB Comox)