NGVAmerica News Week in Review: May 22, 2017

 

• School District Opens Florida’s First District Owned and Operated CNG Station
• NGVAmerica Releases Updated NGV Maintenance Facilities Modifications Document
• CSA Group Publishes New Edition of NGV 1 Standard, Seeks Feedback
• Chicago Area Clean Cities Fleets Saved 26.5 Million Gallons of Petroleum in 2016
• Bipartisan Vehicle Innovation Act Reintroduced in Senate
• UC Riverside and SoCalGas Open New Renewable Natural Gas Research Center
• Hexagon Composites to Support the Conversion of 5,000 Taxis in Indonesia
• New LNG Supply Solution Available to Ship Owners in Quebec

 

School District Opens Florida’s First District Owned and Operated CNG Station

May 17, 2017

Pasco County Schools and its partners recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of Florida’s first school district owned and operated fast-fill CNG station. The new station will accommodate the 65 CNG buses the district will have by the end of the 2017-18 school year.

“We are proud of how far we have come in just a few short years,” said School Board Chairman Altman. “We couldn’t have done it without great partnerships and the talented, dedicated staff of our Construction Services, Transportation Services, and Planning departments.”

At the ribbon cutting local and state officials were joined by CEO of Integral Energy and Clearwater Gas Managing Director and Executive Officer Chuck Warrington in celebrating the milestone. Guests were able to watch the first CNG buses being filled with gas and tour the processing plant. The CNG station is capable of filling a bus in three minutes and dispensing more than 10,500 GGEs per day.

In addition to the filling station, the district also is opening a new bus compound at the site in Odessa. Student enrollment projections add an average of 1,000 students per year over the next 10 years district-wide. Like the filling station, the garage is state-of-the-art and specially designed to service the CNG buses. It is scheduled to be fully operational by July and will accommodate up to 90 buses.

NGVAmerica Releases Updated NGV Maintenance Facilities Modifications Document

May 22, 2017

NGVAmerica has released an updated version of Guideline for Determining the Modifications Required for Natural Gas Vehicle Maintenance Facilities, originally created by the Clean Vehicle Education Foundation in 2012. The updated document was produced by the NGV Maintenance Facility Modifications Working Group that is part of NGVAmerica’s Technology & Development Committee. Modifications to the document include changes to code revisions and text, along with updates from the Working Group.

The guidelines describe the modifications necessary for existing liquid fueled vehicle maintenance facilities to service both CNG and LNG vehicles.  The basic national codes are outlined, and the rationale and assumptions used to develop the codes are discussed.  While this document outlines existing codes, it is important to note that each maintenance facility must be evaluated as building designs and activities performed in the facility can have a significant impact on the modifications required.

The updated document is available here.

 

CSA Group Publishes New Edition of NGV 1 Standard, Seeks Feedback

May 22, 2017

CSA Group has published a new edition of CSA/ANSI NGV 1 – Compressed Natural Gas Vehicle Fueling Connection Devices. This standard is ANSI-accredited and is developed for North America for testing and certification of CNG vehicle fueling nozzles and receptacles. The initial impetus for the development of CSA NGV 1 was to develop requirements for compatibility of vehicle fueling connection devices, as well as requirements for the development of components specific for use with CNG.

“CSA NGV 1 was recently updated to include additions and provisions for both the larger diameter heavy duty vehicle refueling nozzles and receptacles and geometry for lower pressure nozzles and receptacles that may be used for Adsorbed Natural Gas (ANG),” said Brandon Grote, Global Market Manager, Alternative Fuels at Swagelok and Chair of CSA Group’s NGV 1 Technical Subcommittee. “These improvements help the global natural gas vehicle market meet industry needs for standardized CNG filling connections.”

In addition to the expanded scope stated above, the Technical Subcommittee reorganized the test fixture tolerance, wear pattern and receptacle figures to make them more user-friendly to users of the Standard.

Related to the publication of CSA NGV 1, CSA Group is also seeking industry feedback regarding the defueling of CNG tanks. NFPA 52-2016, Vehicular Natural Gas Fuel Systems Code, Clause 15.3.4, requires defueling capability that does not require use of tools. During the development of CSA NGV 6.1, the question was raised whether coverage for a common defueling connection profile should be developed. CSA Group has created a quick two question survey for CNG stakeholders to complete that can be accessed here.

The development of CSA NGV 1 and supporting activities are made possible by a financial contribution from Natural Resources Canada. To access CSA/ANSI NGV 1 -Compressed Natural Gas Vehicle Fuel Connection Devices, visit CSA Group’s online store.

 

Chicago Area Clean Cities Fleets Saved 26.5 Million Gallons of Petroleum in 2016

May 18, 2017

The Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition announced that in 2016 its member fleets displaced nearly 26.5 million GGEs of petroleum and reduced greenhouse-gas emissions by 230,000 tons. This represents a six percent increase in fuel savings over 2015 and a two percent improvement in emissions.

“Our Clean Cities member fleets are going the extra mile when it comes to saving fuel and reducing emissions,” said Samantha Bingham, coordinator, Chicago Area Clean Cities (CACC). “Their efforts help the environment and also are providing a solid return on investment.”

Members of CACC include commercial fleets and municipalities throughout the six-county Chicago area. The coalition announced its 2016 fleet-fuel survey results at its recently held annual Green Drives Conference and Expo. At the expo, more than 200 attendees learned about steps they can take to make their fleets cleaner, less reliant on petroleum, and more fuel efficient. The expo showcased forty environmentally friendly vehicles, and more than 20 exhibitors featured their green-fleet solutions.

Chicago Area Clean Cities is a voluntary coalition whose mission over the last 23 years has been to support local actions to improve the environmental performance and efficiency of public and private fleets in the six-county Chicago metro area.

 

Bipartisan Vehicle Innovation Act Reintroduced in Senate

May 18, 2017

U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) reintrodued the bipartisan Vehicle Innovation Act to encourage investments in research and development of clean vehicle and advanced safety technologies to increase fuel efficiency and reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil. In the 114^th Congress, Senators Peters, Alexander and Stabenow introduced similar legislation, which was approved by the U.S. Senate as part of the Energy Policy Modernization Act.

“Michigan and the United States are leading the way in developing innovative technologies that will make the next generation of cars and trucks safer and more efficient than ever before,” said Senator Peters. “This bipartisan bill will help ensure that American manufacturers remain internationally competitive by encouraging the development of cutting-edge clean vehicle technologies that improve fuel efficiency, save consumers money and help support American jobs.”

The Vehicle Innovation Act strengthens and streamlines the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Office, which promotes public-private partnerships to conduct technology-neutral research and development on a diverse range of new technologies to improve fuel efficiency in light, medium and heavy duty vehicles. In addition to furthering the technological development of alternative fuel vehicles, the bill would support natural gas refueling technology.

The legislation also authorizes critical resources for the Vehicle Technologies Office to encourage research, including $313.6 million in funding for the FY2018, and a four percent increase to each year after that through 2022, to ensure steady funding is available to help manufacturers keep pace with emerging advanced technologies that have the potential to reduce fuel costs in the national vehicle fleet.

 

UC Riverside and SoCalGas Open New Renewable Natural Gas Research Center

May 17, 2017

The University of California, Riverside and Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) marked the establishment of a new Center for Renewable Natural Gas. The Center is the first academic establishment in the United States dedicated to the study and applied research of renewable gas (RNG) technologies. It was funded in part by SoCalGas with a matching donation from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and the National Center for Sustainable Transportation (NCST) and is part of UC Riverside’s Center for Environmental Research & Technology (CE-CERT).

The Center will focus on improving technologies and removing barriers to increase RNG use in California and beyond. The Center will conduct research on:

• Technologies that can increase renewable gas use in heavy-duty trucking and other transportation
• High-yield renewable natural gas production
• Storing renewable energy with power-to-gas technology
• Market and policy issues
• Potential sites for renewable gas production projects

“Renewable gas can play a key role in reducing greenhouse gases and meeting California’s renewable energy goals,” said Lisa Alexander, vice president of customer solutions and communications for SoCalGas. “In California, the agriculture and waste industries produce a great deal of methane that could—and should—be used as renewable gas to heat homes, and fuel power plants and near-zero-emissions trucks.”

The Center says California could produce enough renewable gas each year to replace 75 percent of the smog-producing diesel fuel used by vehicles in the state.

 

Hexagon Composites to Support the Conversion of 5,000 Taxis in Indonesia

May 18, 2017

Hexagon Composites’ subsidiary Hexagon Raufoss has recently received orders from PT Autogas in Indonesia for CNG cylinders to convert 5,000 taxis and government vehicles to operate on CNG.

The Indonesian government is actively promoting the usage of natural gas in order to achieve their oil-to-gas program goal to reduce pollution and diversify fuel in the public transportation sector. According to new legislation that is expected to be issued by the government shortly, all gas stations will be required to have at least one dispenser of natural gas.

“We are excited about the momentum of the adoption of environmentally friendly fuels in Indonesia and are pleased that our leading CNG solutions are playing a part in helping reduce pollution in Indonesia,” said Ragnar Holthe, Managing Director of Hexagon Raufoss.

PT Autogas Indonesia, a subsidiary of PT Draco, is a leading conversion company for natural gas powered heavy duty vehicles, transit buses and passenger cars. In 2016, Hexagon Raufoss delivered 1,000 CNG cylinders to Indonesia for conversion of taxis and governmental vehicles.

The new cylinders are scheduled to be delivered in the second quarter of 2017.

 

New LNG Supply Solution Available to Ship Owners in Quebec

May 18, 2017

Port of Montreal are introducing an LNG supply solution for marine fuel that will be available at the Port of Montreal. Groupe Desgagnés, Gaz Métro and the Port of Montreal joined efforts in developing an LNG supply system that will be operated by a Gaz Métro subsidiary. This system will be available to all ship owners in Quebec, including the fleets passing through the Port of Montreal.

“I would like to commend the leadership and vision of Groupe Desgagnés, which was the first commercial ship owner to order vessels destined to navigate in Québec able to use LNG as marine fuel,” said Sophie Brochu, President and CEO of Gaz Métro. “LNG is currently one of the best solutions available to replace petroleum products in the maritime sector, due to its environmental assets.”

Groupe Desgagnés, a Canadian shipping firm, recently deployed M/T Damia Desgagnés, the first Groupe Desgagnés vessel able to operate on LNG. The shipping firm has committed to acquiring four vessels capable of operating on LNG and has positioned itself as a pioneer for the development of LNG as a fuel for maritime transport in Quebec and Canada.

Gaz Métro and the Port of Montreal hope that the availability of LNG supply solutions will be a first step in encouraging ship owners to follow the lead taken by Groupe Desgagnés and adopt the cost-effective and environmentally friendly option.