The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District broke ground on a six-megawatt microgrid, Oct. 3, 2023, at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The microgrid, which incorporates three two-megawatt natural gas generators, will be used to generate power to sustain critical airfield and related operations in an emergency.
“Units in Fort Campbell must be ready to fight tonight - they must be ready to deploy, fight and win when the nation calls, and projects like this will enable that,” said Col. Christopher Midberry, Fort Campbell garrison commander.
Construction of the microgrid will include generators, buildings, natural gas lines, radiators, heat exchangers, transformers, equipment controls and communication.
“The project is a critical need for the Army and demonstrates a collaborative approach among stakeholders with lessons learned captured for future ERCIP projects,” said Rachael Haunz, USACE Military/Interagency and International Support Project Management Branch chief.
The microgrid will provide redundant power capability to ensure Fort Campbell is able to meet 100 percent mission capacity for up to two weeks should there be interruptions from the traditional power grid due to weather, cyber or physical threat.
“This is a significant project,” said Lt. Col. Guillermo Guandique, deputy district commander, USACE Louisville District. “There are going to be a lot of lessons learned from this project and it will not only impact Fort Campbell but also the rest of the nation.”
Construction is scheduled to be completed August 2025 at a cost of $16.3 million.
“A successful project is measured by the ability to overcome the obstacles that impact its progress. This team, though their professionalism, planning and communication, has been poised from the onset to deliver,” said Boyd Heaton, USACE project engineer, Fort Campbell resident office.