CFB Greenwood getting $20 million in energy efficiency upgrades

A Canadian flag sits on a member of the Canadian Armed Forces in this file photo. (Lars Hagberg/The Canadian Press)

HALIFAX -- The largest Royal Canadian Air Force base on the East Coast is getting $20 million in environmental upgrades.

The Defence Department says 102 buildings at Canadian Forces Base Greenwood will be improved with energy efficiency measures, including new LED lighting and efficient ventilation systems.

As well, the central heating plant at the base, better known as 14 Wing Greenwood, will be upgraded to use natural gas.

The Defence Department says the upgrades are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower annual energy costs by about $900,000 -- or 13 per cent.

The contract for the energy upgrades and retrofits was awarded to MCW Custom Energy Solutions Ltd.

The department says it wants to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2030.

"These energy performance contracts represent the great work underway across Canada to make our defence infrastructure more sustainable and energy efficient," Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said in a statement.

"This work benefits our personnel by modernizing the places where they work and train, while significantly lowering our carbon emissions to help us achieve a greener future for all Canadians."