BOSTON — Veolia North America announced the award of a five-year contract with the South Orange County Community College District to provide operation and maintenance (O&M) of its central cogeneration plant at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California. Veolia will also manage several capital improvements at the plant, in addition to providing campus-wide environmental health and safety (EH&S) services under a separate agreement. By implementing operational and safety best practices learned from Veolia’s energy operations around the world, Saddleback College will benefit from greater operational efficiencies and plant performance, while meeting environmental requirements and ensuring a reliable supply of chilled and hot water and electricity for the campus.
“As a global leader in operating and maintaining complex energy plants, Veolia is an excellent partner for Saddleback College,” said John Ozurovich, director of facilities at Saddleback College. “Our mission is to promote environment sustainability and use our resources responsibly to reduce ecological impact. Through our infrastructure investment in cogeneration technology and now our partnership with Veolia, we will continue to make strides in supporting our mission by efficiently operating our cogeneration plant operations, meeting all emission targets, and supplying reliable energy to the campus — safely.”
Following a competitive bid process, Veolia was selected to operate and maintain the central plant, including power generation equipment, the chilled and hot water systems, and the high-voltage distribution system. Veolia will also provide 24/7 remote monitoring and emergency response.
The efficient natural gas-fired cogeneration plant recycles the heat from its power generation process into useful thermal energy to heat and cool water distributed throughout the campus. With an electrical capacity of 1.5 megawatts (MW), campus power is supplied by the central plant and electricity purchased from San Diego Gas and Electric to offset peak demand. The plant integrates a chilled water capacity of 2,000 tons and supplies chilled and hot water to the majority of buildings at the Saddleback College campus.
As part of the management services, Veolia has performed equipment condition assessments, implemented an EH&S program, and established new operating and maintenance guidelines for the central plant, in addition to meeting all performance requirements. Veolia will also manage several central plant capital projects. Following the successful implementation of Veolia’s EH&S program for the central plant, the district requested that Veolia provide EH&S services for the entire Saddleback College campus, illustrating its commitment to safety and the environment.
“Veolia is committed to helping the district meet its stringent environmental and performance goals, while ensuring the delivery of efficient, clean energy to the Saddleback College community,” said Bill DiCroce, COO and president of Veolia North America’s Municipal and Commercial Business. “This partnership demonstrates Saddleback College’s strong commitment to sustainability and reinforces the college’s core mission to manage its environmental impact, while ensuring the continued safety of its students, employees, and the community.”
For more information, visit www.veolianorthamerica.com.
Publication date: 9/29/2014
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