Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Northwest awarded Absher Construction Co. a $145 million task order to replace the electrical substation and perform associated infrastructure work to provide reliable power at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS) in Bremerton, Washington, Sept. 16.
Awarded under an existing multiple-award construction contract in support of the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP), the project will construct an electrical substation consisting of two 40/60 megavolt-ampere substations and supporting infrastructure, which will ensure the shipyard is equipped to continue supporting critical fleet maintenance activities and accommodate upcoming SIOP projects. The existing substation is beyond its service life and lacks the capability to be modified or improved.
“This is great news for the program and the shipyard,” said Capt. Luke Greene, SIOP program manager. “This work not only improves the utility performance at PSNS, which is a boon to the workforce, but it also enables important projects that will ready the shipyard for future work on Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers as they enter the fleet.”
“This electrical upgrade is a key investment in the optimization and modernization of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, ensuring our facilities are ready to support the Navy’s most advanced platforms,” said Capt. Preston Taylor, commanding officer of NAVFAC Northwest. “By improving the reliability and capacity of our infrastructure, we are not only enhancing fleet readiness today but laying the groundwork for continued success as we prepare for future challenges.”
This is the first major SIOP military construction project at PSNS.
“This project represents a huge infrastructure investment, supporting both increased capacity for the Ford class and for other electrification initiatives, plus increased reliability,” said Dave Sweet, SIOP department director at PSNS. “This project really sets up PSNS SIOP to have a strong foundation with improved electrical utilities.”
SIOP is a comprehensive, long-term recapitalization effort that is delivering integrated investments in infrastructure and industrial plant equipment at the Navy’s four public shipyards, expanding shipyard capacity and optimizing shipyard configuration to meet the Navy’s nuclear-powered fleet maintenance requirements. Recapitalizing the shipyards' century-old infrastructure increases maintenance throughput and improves quality of service for the Navy’s 37,000 shipyard employees.
To date, SIOP has completed 30 facilities projects totaling $867 million, with an additional 40 projects worth a total of $6 billion under contract. This includes four dry docks under construction as well as projects to enhance the resiliency and capacity of shipyard utilities.
NAVFAC Northwest provides facilities engineering, public works and environmental products and services within an area of responsibility that spans across the Pacific Northwest. NAVFAC Northwest also provides facilities management to 14 Navy Operational Support Centers across 11 states, including Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Iowa.
For more information about the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program, visit https://www.navfac.navy.mil/PEO-Industrial-Infrastructure/PMO-555-SIOP/.