UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL CO-GEN REPLACEMENT

Rutgers and University Hospital, Newark (Hospital), recently completed clean water and energy efficiency improvements that are being financed with approximately $7 million in loans from the NJ Water Bank, a low-rate funding pro-gram jointly administered by the DEP and the NJ I-Bank. Including interest cost savings, total savings for this project are estimated to be $550,485 over the term of the loan or 7% of the total project cost. In addition, this project created an estimated 84 direct construction jobs. 

The project implemented improvements to the existing cogeneration (combined heat and power or CHP) system at University Hospital. Cogeneration systems are highly efficient as they produce both on-site electricity and thermal energy for heating or cooling from a single fuel source at the point of consump-tion. The oxides of nitrogen are collectively known as NOx which react with other volatile organic compounds to form ground level ozone. It is this form of ozone that, together with reactive hydrocarbons can form smog. The new system replaced existing co-generation plant turbines that were using an outdated water injection sys-tem to reduce NOx, a process that doesn't com-ply with current DEP regulations. The turbines were replaced with three Solar Mercury T-60 Tur-bines with an increased capacity of 2.8 mega-watts (MW), a new gas compressor, new controls and connections, and switch gear. The gas tur-bines produce high temperature exhaust which is recovered and utilized to generate steam, hot water, or chilled water. 

Ed Jimenez, President and CEO of the hospital commended the project. "This updated technology will result in a fifty percent decrease in emissions and save the Newark campus eight mil-lion gallons of water per year. Overall, the upgrades will reduce the usage of potable water and the subsequent discharge of wastewater. It will significantly reduce air-borne pollutants and provide a resilient source of power to existing infrastructure such as wastewater pumping stations, ejector pumps, stormwater sump pumps, and potable water systems. Strategic financing through the Water Bank provided all of these benefits and will save both Rutgers and University Hospital money in the long run on purchasing and installing the equipment." 

This project was managed by Rutgers University in-house IPO RBHS Project Management Group. The Turbine Generator equipment was purchased from Solar Turbines.

Picture courtesy of Solar Turbines