KITTERY — The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard has received $15.8 million in funding for energy conservation and repair work.

This is the third round of funding — a total of $91.8 million — that’s been announced for the shipyard this month.

The Portsmouth Herald reported that the new funding will be used for energy conservation upgrades and repairs to the removable submarine covers — temporary staging structures that are placed around a submarine while it is in dry dock for repairs.

When the project is completed, energy consumption by the covers is expected to be reduced by the equivalent of removing 73 homes from the power grid, according to the Herald.

“Today’s announcement shows that the Navy remains committed to significant investments in the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to ensure it will remain an important submarine repair facility and a bedrock of economic activity in southern Maine and New Hampshire for decades to come,” said U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine in a joint statement.

The older funding, about $76 million, is being used for building renovations, repair to the waterfront support facility, and structural repair and consolidation of the shipyard’s workshops.

The first $38 million contract was awarded March 8 for work at Building 178, the iconic face of the shipyard, with the words “Portsmouth Naval Shipyard — Est. 1800” on its side, the Herald said.

A second $38 million contract in March was awarded for work on building 174, the shipyard’s West End Waterfront Support Facility.

 


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