Instead of traditional natural gas pipelines, virtual pipelines are taking the lead in providing a cost effective and easier solution for fleet fueling.
By Will Muller
Two major bottlenecks to the conversion of waste-hauling fleets from diesel to natural gas are the related factors of: fuel supply and station infrastructure. Traditional pipeline connected CNG stations are built with no shortage of headaches and capital expense. Just the lateral connection to a utility distribution pipeline (typically low gas pressures and high gas tariffs) is time consuming and fraught with uncertainty. Overruns and delays associated with the pipeline lateral dull the economic advantages of CNG conversion.
The waste hauling industry has long recognized the advantages of CNG operations. CNG is a clean, green, economic fuel. While complete fleet conversion is a goal with huge benefits, some waste industry leaders in CNG conversion are at or close to the limit of pipeline possible stations. The technical limitations, as well as the budget and project management risks associated with pipeline connected stations, are significant barriers to the benefits of CNG. Larger corporations, like Waste Management, have been forward-thinking in adopting natural gas to run their fleets nationwide. Waste Management has pioneered the use of natural gas since the 1990s, and has more than 5,000 natural gas collection trucks on the road. With their continued rapid growth in natural gas vehicle implementation, Waste Management and other trash haulers need an easily scalable solution to keep up with demand. To the waste haulers with a goal of CNG’s benefits fleet-wide, a “virtual pipeline” eliminates the need for pipeline gas and offers an efficient filling station.
No Pipeline Necessary: CNG Vehicle Fueling
In lieu of constructing a pipeline to a CNG fueling station, a virtual pipeline cuts the pipeline out of the equation by delivering 3,600psi natural gas to a customer site by truck and trailer from a centralized compression and loading terminal, such as specialized advanced composite CNG carriers comprised of four 40-foot carbon fiber natural gas storage vessels. State-of-the-art safety equipment is also added to each CNG transport trailer. At a full fill, each trailer delivers roughly 2,500 gasoline gallon equivalents (GGE), or enough fuel to fill about 30 trash trucks with monitoring systems gathering real time data from the customer site. This ensures all of the equipment is running efficiently while ensuring a constant supply of fuel.
Once a CNG trailer is delivered to the customer’s site, it is connected to a vehicle fueling systems and fueling can begin either as time or fast fill. Eliminating the need to build and permit a CNG station, a virtual pipeline can be set up in a fraction of the time. All you need is road—a virtual pipeline can be used anywhere, and can be either a temporary solution or a long-term natural gas application. As a wider adoption of natural gas vehicles increases over the coming years, waste haulers and fleets will need a way to economically refuel. Using a solution, such as a virtual pipeline and a refueling unit, can drastically reduce capital investment and expedite the rollout of a company’s CNG assets, meeting local and federal environmental requirements faster.
Greater Flexibility
As waste hauling and other fleets continues to push a cleaner, greener agenda, and begin operation in geographies where natural gas is either a) not available yet or b) pipeline construction is behind schedule, virtual pipelines allow for greater flexibility and freedom of fueling.
Will Muller is Director of Marketing for Compass Natural Gas, a team of energy, logistics, engineering, and other professionals dedicated to finding effective and innovative ways to distribute and share America’s natural gas resources. Compass uses a “virtual pipeline” to deliver natural gas (CNG) to fleets and companies, eliminating the headaches and costs associated with pipeline infrastructure. All We Need is a Road to safely and reliably deliver clean, green, American natural gas. For more information on Compass Natural Gas and how it may be able to help your waste hauling fleet, contact Will at [email protected].