Design-Build Contract Awarded for Electrical Substation at Los Alamos National Laboratory

LOS ALAMOS, NM  – Under an interagency agreement with the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has awarded a design-build contract at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to Gardner Zemke Mechanical and Electrical Contractors of Albuquerque. Under the $13.1 million firm fixed price contract, Gardner Zemke will design and build a 115 kilo-volt substation adjacent to an existing substation at LANL’s TA-3 facility.  

“This project will help revitalize the lab’s electrical infrastructure by providing reliable service and sufficient capacity to enable DOE and NNSA to fulfill mission‐critical programs at LANL,” said NNSA Federal Project Director Bonita Rogozinsky. “In addition to enhancing LANL operations, the new substation ensures sufficient electrical capacity to support Los Alamos County operations.”

The TA-3 substation project continues recent acquisition success with the USACE managing a design-build contract at LANL for NNSA. A site-prep modular office structure at LANL was recently completed as a design-build acquisition by USACE for NNSA. It was completed in April on time and under budget. On July 1, 2015, the NNSA entered into an interagency agreement with USACE to provide acquisition management services including advertising and award of the substation contract. The USACE will continue to provide project management and construction management services through project completion.

The existing substation is over 50 years old. The new substation will not only meet the current electrical demands for LANL and Los Alamos County, but also will provide the necessary electrical capacity to support future operations.

A ground breaking ceremony is scheduled for early May 2016. The notice to proceed with construction is anticipated in mid‐June 2016 with completion scheduled in late 2018.

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Established by Congress in 2000, NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear explosive testing; works to reduce the global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the U.S. and abroad. Visit www.nnsa.energy.gov for more information