BlueOval Battery Park Michigan

At the core of the campus is a highly sophisticated utility infrastructure designed to support continuous, high-demand industrial processes. Working directly for DTE Energy, RMF Engineering served as Engineer-of-Record for three critical utility facilities totaling nearly 68,000 square feet: the Central Utility Plant (CUP), Modular Chiller Plant (MCP), and Gas Booster Building. In addition, RMF provided balance-of-plant (BOP) engineering services for the compressed air modular plant and supported the campus-wide utility distribution infrastructure. These facilities enable the generation and distribution of thermal energy, electrical power, compressed air, and process utilities throughout the site.

A key feature of the project is its integrated energy systems, including combined heat and power (CHP) operations utilizing combustion turbines and heat recovery steam generators to produce both steam and electricity. The CHP system also recovers energy to generate hot water and high-temperature hot oil for process heating applications, maximizing overall system efficiency while meeting the rigorous demands of battery manufacturing. Additional utility systems provide compressed air at multiple pressure levels to support production and facility operations.

The DTE Energy-owned Central Utility Plant (CUP) incorporates a large-scale thermal energy storage (TES) tank capable of holding more than 2 million gallons of chilled water. Together with the modular chilled water plant, the CUP generates and distributes low- and medium-temperature chilled water across the BlueOval Battery Park Michigan campus. Through a network of high-capacity centrifugal chillers and cooling towers, the system enhances operational efficiency, improves load management, and provides the precise environmental control required for battery manufacturing processes.

RMF's responsibilities extended beyond engineering design to include Construction Services for the project's critical utility infrastructure. RMF engineered the extensive utility distribution systems connecting the campus's major facilities, including more than 850 linear feet of elevated utility piping systems, and maintained an onsite Owner's Representative team to oversee construction on behalf of DTE Energy. Working collaboratively with the project team throughout design and construction, RMF helped deliver the project on an accelerated schedule, with construction beginning before design was fully complete to meet aggressive operational milestones.

Through its partnership with DTE Energy, RMF helped deliver the critical utility infrastructure that enables BlueOval Battery Park Michigan to support Ford's electric vehicle battery manufacturing objectives. The result is a robust, scalable, and highly efficient energy platform designed to support the facility's long-term production needs.