(Credit: Pixabay)Kunsan Air Base, a US Air Force Base in Gunsan, South Korea, is in the midst of a $23 million project that will improve fuel supply reliability through the installation of natural gas service on the base. The installation will also increase security by reducing the need for frequent fuel oil deliveries and will help improve the quality of life for airmen by providing more easily maintained heating systems. The air base is working with Honeywell on the energy resiliency project.
The work is projected to reduce the base's energy consumption by 11% and 58,714 MMBtus annually. The energy and operational savings achieved by the new measures are guaranteed by Honeywell and will self-fund the project, eliminating the need for upfront capital investment. When complete, the upgrades will also benefit the base's host nation, South Korea, by reducing annual emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur dioxide by 3,447 tons, the equivalent to removing 728 cars from the road. The project will also lessen the risk of groundwater and soil contamination from fuel oil.
Honeywell will modernize heating systems in 25 buildings on Kunsan Air Base, including the living quarters, by converting boilers from fuel oil to natural gas to create a better airman experience. A distribution network will be installed to deliver natural gas. Over time, the base plans to expand its use of natural gas to additional buildings.
Other elements of the project will modernize and enhance building monitoring and control systems and increase cybersecurity. Building management will be centralized creating a single point of control that will enable real-time decision making and help operators quickly identify potential operational issues. This will also allow building operators to schedule equipment used throughout the day, which can increase efficiency and optimize demand.
Honeywell first began working with Kunsan Air Base in 2017 when it provided upgrades to LED lighting, installation of advanced building control systems, building envelope improvements, and water efficiency measures. The current project is the next phase of a 25-year energy savings performance contract (ESPC) awarded to Honeywell in 2018 by Kunsan Air Base and the Air Force Civil Engineer Center and Defense Logistics Agency-Energy, with a total project value of $52 million.
Environment + Energy Leader reported that Honeywell recently committed to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations and facilities by 2035. This commitment builds on the company's track record of sharply reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of its operations and facilities as well as its decades-long history of innovation to help its customers meet their environmental and social goals. About half of Honeywell's new product introduction research and development investment is directed toward products that improve environmental and social outcomes for customers.
