COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS Alternative Fuel Vehicles. John Bulmer, P. Eng. Urban Development Engineer Land and Business Support

Transcription

1 COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS Alternative Fuel Vehicles John Bulmer, P. Eng. Urban Development Engineer Land and Business Support

2 City of Medicine Hat CNG Program Background CNG or LNG? Benefits of CNG Medicine Hat s CNG Program CNG Station CNG Facilities CNG Vehicles CNG Training CNG Operations Lessons Learned

3 Background the City of Medicine Hat Medicine Hat population ~ 60,000 The City is a petroleum company oil and natural gas holdings Natural gas producer and operator Natural gas distribution within the City. Electric power generator and distributor Real estate developer

4 Background How we got here Community Environmental Roadmap Created in 2008 by the City and its environmental partners provides a framework of environmental priorities City Council desire for natural gas vehicles in the City s fleet Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) program approved in 2012 Budget approval in 2014

5 Background How we got here

6 CNG or LNG? Natural Gas % Methane (CH4) Simplest hydrocarbon results in a cleaner combustion Energy density is low when compared to gasoline / diesel Liquefy or compress to increase density Canada has a 100 year natural gas inventory

7 CNG or LNG? Energy Density (MJ / L) Diesel Gasoline LNG CNG

8 CNG or LNG? Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Natural Gas cooled to -160 C at a central plant LNG shipped to distribution point Must be kept cold to remain liquid If not used, it will heat, expand and vent. ~ 3 times the energy density of CNG Increased energy density = increased range Best for long haul transport operations

9 CNG or LNG? Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Natural Gas compressed to 4500 psi. Compression station fed by the gas distribution system Best for return-to-base operations medium haul transport operations, municipalities, school buses, solid waste collection, taxi / shuttle, transit

10 Benefits of CNG - Financial CNG has cheaper per liter equivalent cost than diesel or gasoline $0.13 / litre (November 2015) Natural gas is a small component of CNG price 13 % (November 2015) CNG price not subject to refinery-based cost fluctuations

11 Benefits of CNG - Environmental Large vehicles Responsible for 35% of on-road carbon emissions Represents a great opportunity for reductions Carbon content is less than petroleum based fuels Results in significant reductions of harmful emissions % reduction in greenhouse gasses % reduction in particulate matter 90 % reduction in Carbon Monoxide 50 % reduction in Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) 75 % reduction in non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC)

12 Benefits of CNG - Environmental CNG is: non-toxic non-carcinogenic non-corrosive Increased emissions of methane (CH4) do occur offset by the reduction in other emissions CNG vehicles comply with 2016 emission standards.

13 Benefits of CNG - Environmental Sealed Fueling System eliminates evaporative emissions and spills Releases of CNG do not impact soil or water. CNG vents to atmosphere

14 Benefits of CNG - Safety When handled properly, CNG is safe Lower Explosive Limit is 5% 15% used for the storage design of the vehicles Gasoline is Pressure Relief Valves are incorporated in to the vehicle s CNG tanks allows for a controlled release in the event of a fire reduces the explosion potential

15 Benefits of CNG - Social CNG engines are significantly quieter than diesel improves the quality of life for residents and operators CNG promotes the benefit of alternate fuels raises public awareness of environmental issues associated with petroleum based fuels Transit receives an 80% subsidy from taxes reduced fuel costs provides savings to all residents

16 CNG Program Original facility circa 1987 gas distribution system had insufficient capacity to accommodate new facility $12.2 M program Construct new CNG dispensing station at new location Upgrades to the City s fleet maintenance garage Upgrades to the City s solid waste truck storage garage Purchase of CNG solid waste trucks and transit buses Staff training

17 CNG Program - Requirements Fill times comparable to diesel fill time (~ 8 min.) Uninterrupted filling ability on a 24/7 basis 35,000 scf total storage capacity Provision for doubling Dual compressors Each has 450 scfm capacity Two islands each with two dispensing nozzles 3 x large vehicle, 1 x small vehicle Drying / filtration to minimize water content

18 CNG Program Station Site Selection Medicine Hat Regional Airport CNG Station located east of Medicine Hat Airport. Site Works included earthworks, electric and gas servicing, asphalt surfacing, landscaping. Station included dryer, compressors, storage, dispensing units and controls.

19 CNG Program - Station Gas Meter CNG Dryer CNG Compressor Priority Panel CNG Storage Water Meter Building Building

20 CNG Program - Facilities Transit bus storage and all fleet servicing is performed at one facility. Solid waste trucks stored at separate facility. Upgrades include: detection / alarm systems, air exchange to remove hazardous levels of gas automated venting in case of leak detection

21 CNG Program - Vehicles City s diesel fleet includes 15 solid waste trucks and 19 buses 2014 purchased: 6 buses and 5 trucks 2015 purchased: 2 buses and 8 trucks 2016 pilot project for light duty trucks GreenTrip grant ($14M) accelerates bus acquisition Return on Investment: Buses: $45,000 premium, 1.5 year simple payback Solid Waste truck: $50,000 premium, 6 year payback

22 CNG Program - Vehicles

23 CNG Program - Vehicles

24 CNG Program - Training Vehicles Training of mechanics to ensure safety and proper vehicle maintenance compliance with legislation Operator training for safe equipment operation Reduce fear of the unknown Fire Department training to prepare for the what if scenario

25 CNG Program - Training CNG Station Training on the safe operation of the CNG station Dispensing operations Fire Department training Evacuation / emergency shut down procedures Standard Operating Procedures were established for the operators, mechanics and station

26 CNG Program Training

27 CNG Program - Operations The CNG Station was designed / constructed by Clean Energy Compression Corporation industry leader in CNG systems Limited internal / local expertise with CNG Maintenance Service Agreement with Clean Energy Current consumption is 300,000 DLE 1,000,000 DLE total with proposed fleet expansion

28 Lessons Learned Entrenched positions lead to Trench Warfare

29 Lessons Learned CNG does not improve fuel economy CNG storage tanks are heavy and impairs mileage High use vehicles with high fuel consumption provide the best ROI buses get used 2 3 times more than solid waste trucks CNG Station has high fixed (construction) cost initially results in a high per unit volumetric cost increased usage will reduce per unit volumetric cost

30 Lessons Learned More economical to store CNG vehicles outdoors indoor storage has high capital and operating costs purpose built storage could be more economical than retrofit Local expertise is limited Staff buy in is important

31 Lessons Learned Senior management support is essential Full planning up front is critical includes future expansion and operational changes If WHEN things change: PAUSE, BREATHE, ASSESS, EVALUATE, DECIDE determine whether a change in direction is required

32 QUESTIONS / CONTACT INFO CNG Operations Manager Carlos Osterroth Manager, Fleet Services E: carost@medicinehat.ca CNG Station Construction Project Manager John Bulmer, P. Eng. Urban Development Engineer Land and Business Support E: johbul@medicinehat.ca