NGVAmerica News Week in Review: March 13, 2017

• Pennsylvania DEP Awards $1.9 Million in Alternative Fuel Incentive Grants
• CSA Group Seeks Experts for Projects to Improve NGV Standards
• Ontario County Converting Fleet Vehicles to Natural Gas
• Natural Gas Compression Manufacturer to Open Factory in West Virginia
• Momentum Fuel Technologies Adds 175 DGE Fuel System
• Ohio House Passes Transportation Budget Exempting CNG from Motor Fuel Tax
• IVECO Wins Supply Agreement for 43 Natural Gas Trucks in Milan, Italy
• Van Oord Orders First LNG-Powered Crane Vessel

 
Pennsylvania DEP Awards $1.9 Million in Alternative Fuel Incentive Grants

March 7, 2017

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has awarded more than $1.9 million to Pennsylvania schools and businesses for projects using alternative fuels and infrastructure. The Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant (AFIG) provides funding for projects to improve air quality through alternative fuel use. The awards were granted for both vehicle purchase/retrofits and refueling infrastructure.

“The buses, cars, and trucks purchased and rebuilt with these grants will reduce air pollution and improve the air we breathe,” said Acting DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “These types of projects pay economic and environmental dividends for communities and Pennsylvania at large.”

In addition to the Alternative Fuel Incentive Grants just awarded, DEP is offering a limited number of free technical assistance opportunities to municipalities, school districts, municipal authorities, and non-profit organizations to assist them in developing plans for building or expanding an alternative energy vehicle fleet. Applications for the Alternative Fuels Technical Assistance Program will be accepted through June 1, 2017.

The AFIG programs is currently not accepting new applications. The last submission period for 2016 applications closed on December 30, 2016. DEP expects to reopen the AFIG program in 2017, with the next application submission date due in the spring.

The following is a list of natural gas fleets awarded in in the AFIG program.

Tri-County Industries, a waste hauler subsidiary of Vogel Holding, Inc., was awarded $500,000 and seeks to construct an on-site CNG fueling station in Mercer County. This station will be owned by Tri-County Industries and will be available to the general public. This station will be used daily by a minimum of 10 fleet vehicles and potentially 10 waste collection vehicles.

Dandy Mini-Marts in Bradford County was awarded $9,850 to purchase two new vehicles they are converting to CNG that are estimated to save 3,775 gallons annually.

DM Industries, a provider of mechanical insulation for commercial sites in Elk County, seeks to purchase equipment for a home refueling system and was awarded $19, 957.

This project will help UPS to continue the conversion of its Willow Grove vehicle operations to run on natural gas. This project seeks $200,000 in AFIG funds to replace 20 class 8 tractors that run on diesel with 20 class 8 tractors that run on natural gas. The vehicles are estimated to save 462,963 gallons of diesel per year.

The City of Philadelphia was awarded $200,000 and seeks to purchase of 10 new CNG refuse haulers. This effort is in coordination with CMAQ award received earlier this year supporting the purchase of 25 new CNG refuse haulers along with the construction of a new CNG filling station by PGW.

WallyPark Pennsylvania seeks to purchase eight CNG shuttle buses with the help of the $77,600 award total for an estimated annual fuel savings of 43,733.

Xpress Natural Gas has been awarded $200,00 to purchase 10 CNG vehicles. XNG will use these vehicles to collect stranded gas from gathering systems in Susquehanna County, compress and transport that gas to CNG public fueling stations for residents. The project includes a new station that will be owned by Xpress Natural Gas.

 

CSA Group Seeks Experts for Projects to Improve NGV Standards

March 10, 2017

CSA Group is seeking experts from the natural gas vehicle industry to serve on Technical Subcommittees to further improve the codes and standards that support the NGV industry. Based on CSA Group’s engagement with NGV industry stakeholders, CSA Group looks to address an immediate need to develop and revise codes and standards to support the deployment of natural gas vehicles. As a result, CSA Group is launching a variety of projects to develop new standards or revise existing standards for the natural gas vehicle industry.

CSA Group is seeking additional experts to serve on the Technical Subcommittees for the projects in the table below:

Standard Designation	Title	New or Revised	Scope
B401	Maintenance Facilities	New	Develop a new Canadian Code for NGV maintenance facilities and indoor refueling operations. The new Code will amalgamate existing requirements and the specific requirements for NGV (CNG and LNG) storage, parking, repair, maintenance, fueling, and operation in Canadian facilities.   It is anticipated that this new Code will be adopted by the Provinces & Territories allowing NGV facility approval by the local Authority Having Jurisdiction.
LNG 3.1	Fuel System Components for Liquefied Natural Gas Powered Vehicles	New	The projected binational standards will be adoptions of the ISO 12614-x, 18-part series for Liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel system components for road vehicles. The LNG components covered include: fill check valve, heat exchanger – vaporizer, fuel shut-off valve, fill fitting,  excess flow valve, automatic fuel shut-off valve, vapour shut-off valve, tank pressure gauge, tank pressure regulator, pressure regulator, primary relief valve (PRV), vent connector, secondary relief valve (PRV), gas temperature sensor, fuel content gauge, ECU electronic control unit of engine.
LNG 4.1	Liquefied Natural Gas Vehicle Dispensing Systems	New	This new binational standard will cover (a) mechanical and electrical features of newly manufactured systems that dispense liquefied natural gas (LNG) for vehicles where such a system is intended primarily to dispense the fuel directly into the fuel storage container of the vehicle; (b) LNG dispensers contained in a single housing; and (c) LNG dispensers contained in multiple housings for metering and registering devices, remote electronics, remote overfill protection, hoses and nozzles.
SPE 2.1 (formerly EXP 2.1)	Defueling, Decommissioning, and Disposal of Natural Gas Vehicle Fuel Containers (CNG and LNG)	Revised	This updated binational document will provide a best practice for the Defueling, Decommissioning, and Disposal of Liquefied Natural Gas Vehicle Fuel Containers. This publication will enhance the first edition of EXP 2.1 which encompasses the defueling, decommissioning, and disposal of compressed natural gas vehicle fuel containers.
NGV 2	Compressed Natural Gas Vehicle Fuel Containers	Revised	This standard addresses fuel containers intended for onboard storage of compressed natural gas (CNG) for vehicle operation.  The containers covered by this standard are permanently attached to the vehicle and are no more than 1000 liters water capacity.  Updates to the document will include coverage addressing conformable container designs and adsorbed natural gas (ANG) systems.
NGV 4.1/CSA 12.5	Natural Gas Vehicle Dispensing Systems	Revised	The revision to this binational standard addresses the features of newly manufactured systems that dispense compressed natural gas for vehicles directly into a fuel storage container on the vehicle.  Updates to the document will be to incorporate additional content regarding temperature compensation for newly designed systems.
NGV 6.1	Compressed Natural Gas Fuel Storage and Delivery Systems for Road Vehicles	Revised	This binational standard applies to the design, installation, inspection, repair, and maintenance of the fuel storage and delivery system installed on road vehicles for use with compressed natural gas (CNG). This includes fuel systems on self-propelled vehicles for the provision of motive power.   This standard does not apply to: a) stationary engines; b) mobile equipment using natural gas as a fuel for other than propulsion; c) electronic components or controls strategy of a fuel management system; Updates to the standard will be to add fuel system tests.

Expectations of technical subcommittee members include active participation and a willingness to work on a CSA Group Committee electronically and in-person; attendance at teleconference meetings over approximately 12 to 18 months; ability to work in a multi-stakeholder environment, following the principles of consensus; strong interest, knowledge and willingness to research subject matter.

If you are interested in contributing to this work, please contact Bridget Bringman, Project Manager via email at bridget.bringman@csagroup.org by April 14, 2017 to request a membership application.

 

Ontario County Converting Fleet Vehicles to Natural Gas

March 10, 2017

Oxford County in Ontario is shifting towards cleaner burning alternative fuels for its fleet in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Three of the County’s light trucks have been converted to bi-fuel CNG with another 15 trucks to be converted before the end of the year. In addition, Oxford County will become the first municipality in Ontario to have a CNG snow plow that will be clearing County roads next winter season. In researching the potential for operating dedicated CNG vehicles, it was determined a tandem snow plow would be the best application.

“Oxford County is putting the pedal down on a number of exciting initiatives this year when it comes to green vehicle technology,” said Melissa Abercrombie, Manager of Roads and Facilities, Oxford County Public Works. “So far, the reviews have been excellent on our compressed natural gas light truck conversions.”

The new fleet enhancements are projected to reduce the County’s CO2 emissions by to 1,706 tons in 2017. That will put the County fleet on track to achieve a 10 percent reduction by 2019.

 

Natural Gas Compression Manufacturer to Open Factory in West Virginia

March 10, 2017

The Bidell Gas Compression, a subsidiary of the Canadian company Total Energy Services, will base its first U.S. manufacturing operation in Weirton, West Virginia. The company will repurpose a 100,000 square-foot decommissioned machine shop to fabricate, sell, lease and service natural gas compression equipment to customers operating throughout North America and internationally.

“This investment will spur economic development and diversity in the northern panhandle,” said West Virginia Governor Jim Justice. “The project will return an existing building to active use and allow production to get off to a quick start.”

The West Virginia Development Office and the West Virginia Economic Development Authority worked with the Business Development Corporation of the Northern Panhandle (BDC) to purchase the property to make a new home for Bidell Gas Compression. Additional funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities will be provided through the Governor’s Guaranteed Work Force Program. The Hancock County Commission, City of Weirton, United States Environmental Protection Agency and Brooke Hancock Jefferson Regional Planning Commission also provided financial and technical support to secure Bidell in West Virginia’s northern panhandle.

 

Momentum Fuel Technologies Adds 175 DGE Fuel System

March 13, 2017

Momentum Fuel Technologies, a division of Rush Enterprises, announced it is adding a 175 DGE back-of-cab system in its CNG fuel system options for Class 6 to 8 trucks, the largest Momentum system to date. The company expects the system, which is currently in production, will be ready for delivery this spring.

“The larger-capacity tank gives drivers even more time between fill-ups,” said Mike Zimmerman, Momentum’s general manager. “This is a major benefit for all drivers but especially for over-the-road carriers putting in extensive miles.”

Momentum says the system mounts between factory cab extenders with neck-mounted cylinders for greater durability. The system’s fuel management module houses the electronics, fuel filter and fuel-fill receptacles and works in conjunction with the Rush Truck Centers’ telematics platform.

All Momentum products, including the 175 DGE back-of-cab system, feature a fuel pressure regulator with a high-capacity filter manufactured by Parker, allowing the system to operate from 3,600 PSI when full to a minimum of 230 PSI. The pressure regulator is designed to reduce leak points and weight, and the high-capacity filter is larger to be serviced less frequently.

 

Ohio House Passes Transportation Budget Exempting CNG from Motor Fuel Tax

March 10, 2017

The Ohio House of Representatives recently passed House Bill 26, the state transportation budget, a two-year funding plan that addresses Ohio’s infrastructure needs while using innovations in technology and maintaining a competitive tax structure.

The transportation budget, House Bill 26, invests more than $7.8 billion over the next two years through proposals to both meet Ohio’s current infrastructure needs and position it for continued growth in the future.

Of significance to the NGV industry is the bill continues to exempt CNG from the motor fuel tax to avoid placing an additional burden on the operators of vehicles powered by the cleaner burning fuel.

“This infrastructure package is an important step to rebuild our communities,” said House Finance Chair Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell). “The transportation budget makes an investment of $7.8 billion that will maintain our roads and improve our economic competitiveness.”

House Bill 26 now awaits consideration in the Ohio Senate.

 

IVECO Wins Supply Agreement for 43 Natural Gas Trucks in Milan, Italy

March 8, 2017

IVECO announced has won a supply agreement to provide sustainable transport solutions to public entities in Milan, Italy. IVECO will provide 43 Eurocargo CNG medium-duty trucks to Milan’s AMSA (Azienda Milanese Servizi Ambientali), the entity which manages the integrated cycle for waste collection, street cleaning and other services.

The CNG trucks will enter Milan’s service within the end of this summer. A tentative agreement for a further 14 CNG vehicles is also possible in the coming 18 months. Milan joins other major European cities such as Paris, France; Madrid, Spain; and Bologna, Italy, which have already adopted natural gas vehicles from IVECO.

 

Van Oord Orders First LNG-Powered Crane Vessel

March 10, 2017

Van Oord has ordered the construction of a new crane vessel, the Werkendam, that will be Van Oord’s first LNG-powered vessel. The new vessel, which is being built by Neptune in the Netherlands, will generally be deployed to Netherlands-based projects. It will take about twelve months to build the crane vessel.

After completion, the vessel will be able to run on LNG, with gas oil as backup. With a tank on the aft deck, the Werkendam will be able to store enough LNG on board to sail and operate for fourteen days without bunkering LNG.

The Werkendam will be equipped with various sensors and energy storage systems. The sensors will monitor the energy consumption of almost all the equipment and systems on board, which will even make it possible to store and reuse overcapacity, for example when operating the crane. The data produced by these monitoring systems will provide crew members with an insight into energy consumption, enabling them to respond appropriately.

Van Oord says energy efficiency is one of the top items of its sustainability agenda. To reduce its carbon footprint, it is researching the use of alternative fuels, such as LNG and biofuel. With this investment, we will be gaining experience of LNG-powered vessels and the related benefits.