Norfolk Southern launches $53-million energy innovation
project at Juniata Locomotive Shop
ALTOONA, Pa., March 27, 2015 -- Norfolk Southern today
launched a $53-million energy conversion project at its Juniata Locomotive Shop
that will substantially reduce carbon emissions and water usage at the 70-acre
facility.
Norfolk Southern will replace the shop’s coal boilers with
natural gas heaters and install a 1.2-megawatt capacity combined heat and power
generator that will produce enough electricity to sustain the entire 16-building
complex. When completed in late 2017, Norfolk Southern expects the improvements
to save about $4 million in electricity costs, reduce water usage by 49.4
million gallons from steam-water recovery, and eliminate more than 29,000 tons
of carbon emissions in Pennsylvania on an annual basis. The project goes beyond
equipment changes to include adding insulation, energy-efficient windows at key
locations, high-speed roll-up doors on locomotive bays, and replacing roofing to
ensure the full sustainability benefits of the investment are realized.
The project follows a comprehensive review of work demands
and energy consumption at Juniata, the largest locomotive repair shop in North
America and headquarters for Norfolk Southern’s locomotive rebuild program. The
facility has about 1,050 employees who specialize in heavy repairs and engine
overhauls.
“This project showcases Norfolk Southern’s commitment to
sustainability and innovation,” said CEO Wick Moorman. “The Juniata Locomotive
Shop has a 125-year legacy of leading the rail industry in locomotive
technology, and with our energy conversion project, this shop and its employees
will remain an industry frontrunner in the 21st century.”
“I applaud Norfolk Southern’s commitment to innovation and
growth for the rail industry in Blair County and across the country,” said U.S.
Rep. Bill Shuster, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee. “The Juniata Locomotive Shop has been operating for over 100 years in
Central Pennsylvania, and this latest investment helps solidify its continued
role in growing this nation through our railroads.”
State Sen. Jon Eichelberger; state Rep. John McGinnis; Jim
Frank, district director for Congressman Bill Shuster; and Blair Wimbush, NS
vice president real estate and corporate sustainability officer, also
participated in the project launch.
“The Juniata Locomotive Shop has provided good-paying job
opportunities for the citizens of Blair County and surrounding counties for
generations,” said Dennis Davin, acting secretary of the Pennsylvania Department
of Community and Economic Development. “This significant investment by Norfolk
Southern in energy efficiency will help ensure that this facility remains
competitive.”
“This is an important announcement by Norfolk Southern in
many respects,” said state Sen. John Eichelberger. “They are again demonstrating
their long-term commitment to the Juniata shops, which is a vital part of our
region’s economy, and by converting to cleaner-burning natural gas, they are
helping our Commonwealth’s burgeoning drilling industry.”
About
Norfolk Southern
Norfolk Southern
Corporation
(NYSE: NSC)
is
one of the nation’s premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern
Railway Company subsidiary operates approximately 20,000
route
miles
in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in
the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail
carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the
East and is a major transporter of coal, automotive, and industrial
products.
Media
Inquiries:
Dave Pidgeon, 717-541-2247 (David.Pidgeon@nscorp.com)
Investor Inquiries:
Katie Cook, 757-629-2861 (InvestorRelations@nscorp.com)