The Central Energy Plant lies at the core of Ford Motor Company’s Research and Engineering Campus. The new addition fills multiple initiatives, including the replacement of an aging central steam system and distributed cooling assets with a 3,000-ton geothermal system, a 19,000-ton chilled water system, low-temperature water-based energy distribution loops (42°F chilled water and 120°F hot water), 40,000 ton-hours of thermal energy storage, and on-site electrical generation via combined heat and power.
In keeping with the plan’s three core principles—integration, interaction, and co-location—CEP is a 34-MW gas-fired combined heat and power (CHP) plant that is co-located with a heating plant, as well as an efficient chilled water plant equipped with a thermal energy storage tank.
Integrating efforts of maximum efficiency, flexibility, and value, the end result is “a highly efficient and flexible central plant” that exceeds Ford’s range of high-performance sustainability objectives. This included a 50% reduction in carbon footprint compared to an older steam powerhouse that the CEP replaced; a 50% reduction in water use; a 60% improvement in chilled water production efficiency compared to multiple existing in-building chillers; and a significant amount of space heating provided from recovered waste heat.
The Central Energy Plant will energize a flexible and high-tech revamp of Ford Motor Co.’s Research and Engineering campus in Dearborn, Michigan. Because it goes beyond the envelope of modern distributed gas power by integrating heat and thermal energy storage to fulfill Ford’s sustainability objectives, the highly efficient project is unique.
Ford Motor Co. is underway on a 10-year overhaul of its Research and Engineering Center (REC), aimed at modernizing a collection of 60-year-old buildings that have stood at the heart of the U.S. auto industry. The transformation includes a new Central Energy Plant (CEP), Campus Distribution Systems, and phased replacement of existing Research and Engineering buildings.
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