Seattle WA-based Seafreeze Cold Storage has been awarded a $561,000 low-interest loan to improve the energy efficiency of its 7 million-cubic-foot refrigerated facility in south Seattle.
The facility and equipment upgrades are expected to reduce energy use by 23%, approximately 3 million kilowatt hours per year, which is the equivalent annual energy use of about 300 homes. The loan is part of the state of Washington’s State Energy Program (SEP), which received federal funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
“This SEP loan was critical to our ability to fund the very high upfront costs of improvements and upgrades,” said Neil O’Leary, director of strategic development for Seafreeze. “As a Port of Seattle tenant, we are answering port CEO Tay Yoshitani’s call to set new standards in environmental stewardship and sustainable operations and practices. Seafreeze takes that mission seriously, and we are proud to contribute to the port’s sustainability efforts.”
Seafreeze will use the funds to implement a set of energy efficiency measures aimed at reducing energy use and lowering operating costs at its cold storage facility. The project includes energy efficiency upgrades, including installation of high-speed doors to reduce cold air loss, re-piping of the facility’s engine room to lower energy loss, and installation of variable-speed drivers to accommodate changing energy needs.
The company currently provides family wage jobs for more than 100 employees, and its tenants account for another 500 jobs on site. The savings on energy costs will help enable Seafreeze to remain competitive in a tight market, while benefiting Seattle City Light by reducing demand for power and the state by helping to achieve its energy savings goals. The project leverages an additional $1.1 million in investment from Seafreeze and Seattle City Light incentives.
More information is available at www.seafreeze.com.
