CS Energy LLC, an integrated energy firm that designs and builds optimized projects in the solar, storage and emerging energy industries, has successfully completed the largest solar project in New Jersey.
Ben Moreell Solar Farm LLC and Department of the Navy executed a lease for approximately 170 acres of underutilized land for the purpose of constructing a 28.5 MW ground-mount project located at Naval Weapons Station Earle (NWS Earle) in Tinton Falls, N.J.
CS Energy designed, procured and installed the power plant, creating a custom work site that allowed for a streamlined construction process while still maintaining the base’s security standards. CS Energy’s team of local workers installed 4,000 solar panels each day at the height of construction. Currently, the second phase of the project is under way. CS Energy will install a separate behind the meter solar system that will connect directly to the NWS Earle utility grid, providing the Navy with renewable energy to support operations.
Owned by Vitol Green Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of global energy and commodities company Vitol Holdings B.V., the solar project will be tied directly to the local utility grid. In case of emergency, and with further investment, the clean power plant can be modified to power the base, which has a combined workforce of more than 1,500 civilian, military and contractor personnel.
“With close to 1 GW of solar capacity installed worldwide, CS Energy is a proven partner for delivering solar power projects that maximize use of the terrain while offering high levels of output,” says R. Andrew de Pass, head of renewables at Vitol Inc.
“Their attention to safety, efficiency and customer service enabled us to deliver the NWS Earle project in record time,” he adds.
The Ben Morrell project contributes to New Jersey’s 2020 Energy Master Plan, which aims to garner 100% of its energy from renewable, carbon-neutral sources by 2050. The Energy Master Plan is the first of a series of steps to ensure that the state generates and manages its energy supply in a way that is consistent with economic, climate and societal demands.
Photo: The Ben Moreell Solar Farm
