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ORF Home > Technical Resources > Central-Utility-Plant (CUP)

Central-Utility-Plant (CUP)

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The NIH Central Utility Plant (CUP) houses five traditional gas- and oil-fired boilers and one gas turbine combined cycle that produce steam. Steam is needed for a myriad of NIH campus operations. These include space conditioning, hot water heating, medical equipment sterilization, autoclaves, animal cage and rack washing, dishwashing, and other process uses. The CUP generates and distributes ~ 2.3 billion pounds of steam per year to the NIH Bethesda campus buildings.  The CUP's combined cycle gas turbine also generates 23 MW of electricity at an incredibly economic $0.04/kWh, which saves the NIH up to $14 million dollars in electrical costs each year compared to purchasing outside power. 

The Central Utility Plant also houses twelve industrial refrigerant chillers that can produce up to 62,400 Tons of cooling (the equivalent of 30,000+ homes). Through the economy of scale, engineering ingenuity, and continued improvements due to the hard work of CUP personnel, that cooling is generated and transported at an average overall rate of 0.65 kW/ton, compared to the typical chiller plant rate of 0.8-1.0 kW/ton and the average household rate of 1.2 kW/ton. This feat of efficiency means that the CUP Chiller Plant alone saves the NIH approximately 90,000 MWh of electrical energy, or $12 million dollars in electrical costs per year compared to independent building package cooling systems. ​
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Picture of Engineering Station
The plant distributes utilities to NIH’s buildings underground via 
  • 2 miles of walkable tunnels
  • 2 miles of concrete trench​
  • Natural gas lines totaling ~ 3.6 miles in length
  • Domestic water lines totaling ~ 12 miles in length
  • Steam and chilled water pipe lines totaling over 7 miles ​

  


Picture of CUP Real-Time Data Collection



Plant Information Graphic Displays​
Picture of Plant Information Graphic Displays

CUP Facts and Figures

As of June 2025 Chilled Water Steam
 
 
 
Customer   
Area Served 12 million sq. ft. 12 million sq. ft.
Energy Sources   
Number of Units 12 chillers 5 boilers, 1 cogeneration plant
Operations/Distribution   
Design Capacity 62,400 tons 980 kPPH
Firm Capacity 57,400 tons 980 kPPH
Available Capacity 60,000 tons 980 kPPH
Supply Temperature 44 F373 F
Return Temperature 54 F N/A
Supply Pressure 110 psi 165 psi
Piping Type Welded steel,
schedule 80 with insulation		 Welded steel,
schedule 80 with insulation
Piping Trench Length >7 miles >7 miles
  Electrical Steam
Cogeneration Plant Capacity 23 MW 180 kPPH



 
This page was last updated on Jun 27, 2025