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Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune will be removing the main power plant in the coming months. The power plant runs on steam and is being removed as part of the decentralization of steam plants on base.
"There has been a broad initiative to decentralize steam plants across Lejeune," said Andrew Smith, utilities director for Public Works. "The large Building 1700 steam plant is a coal burning plant and, we’re decentralizing in favor of natural gas fire and package boilers at individual facilities as opposed to producing steam and distributing it to the regimental area or industrial area. With the natural gas fire boilers all of your domestic hot water and steam in the mess halls will be produced locally at the facility level now."
The base is moving to natural gas fire and package boilers because there can be leaks in pipes that steam can escape from that causes loss of power.
"When you have distributed steam you have significant energy losses in the distribution process," said Smith. "By locating at the facility level you don’t have those distribution losses which can be up to 35 percent or more depending on how sound your distribution system is."
The plant started its construction in 1941 and was operational in 1943. Since the steam plant is so old it was made a historical site, but is being demolished despite the fact.
"Because it is a historical site there were certain criteria that the building had to meet in order for it to be demolished," said Scott Self, general foreman for steam generation. "That’s why the contractors came in, to document the history to show what the building did and how it was in the past."
The steam plant will stop producing steam and await demolition April 4.
"It’s just a building, but I’ve been at this plant for about 25 years so to me it’s like a second home," said Self. "A lot of the guys that work there work a rotating shift and spend probably more time with their shift mates than they do their family, so it’s home to a lot of guys. It’s going to be missed."
| Date Taken: | 03.16.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2017 20:42 |
| Story ID: | 227678 |
| Location: | NC, US |
| Web Views: | 41 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Historic steam plant to be dismantled for more energy efficient options, by Sgt Juan Madrigal, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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