As industrial and commercial operations grow in their facilities, operations and outputs growing pains can be felt across many areas of infrastructure. One potential pain-point that can be catastrophic to success of the expanded operation is the electrical and natural gas utility feeds. When an operation grows and thus requires additional demand for electricity and/or natural gas fuel, improvements in energy supply are not instantly available or even guaranteed. How frustrating to build out a facility expansion only to be bottlenecked through the lack of electrical and/or natural gas supply.
We deliver natural gas direct to a site to provide supplemental natural gas supply so that your expanded operation can run at its full capacity.
The Problem
One of our nut processing customers expanded their plant. The timing of the expansion was in sync with their annual harvest. Additional power and natural gas would be required to energize and fuel the expanded operation. However, the utility gas infrastructure in their area was older and additional gas supply would require an upgraded meter at the site and improved street side supply piping to deliver the increased flow of natural gas the expanded plant would soon require.
Problem Analysis
We analyzed the customers past natural gas usage per day and compared that to the forecast of gas usage with the expanded plant and its additional equipment. It was clear that there would be many days of operation where the demand for gas would be greater than the current supply.
Once we had identified the estimated volumes of gas that the plant would be short, and the estimated timing of those shortages, we were able to design an appropriately sized solution.
Specifically, the plant would have an deficiency of about 2,050,000 standing cubic feet (scf) over the course of a few weeks of operation. Deficiency volume was estimated with peaks of up to 500,000 scf per day. An appropriate solution was needed to provide these volumes of natural gas.
Our Natural Gas Solution
Using a CNG Virtual Pipeline, we mobilized our 365,000 scf CNG storage tube trailer and placed it on site. Our tube trailer is pressurized to 3600 PSI and is connected to our depressurization equipment that heats the gas as it is defueled. Our pressure reducing equipment needed to be capable of flowing 20,000, scf of gas per hour to support the plant's gas demand.
After flowing through our depressurization equipment, gas was connected to the plant's main gas lines. The main gas line had a pressure of 80 PSI. Our supplemental gas supply was gated through a pressure sensing check valve. This valve was set to 75 PSI. Thus, our supplemental gas would only flow when the gas pressure of the main line dipped by 5PSI. When the mainline pressure dropped, our gas flowed into the pipeline to boost the flow and pressure and thus successfully fuel the expanded operation.
When our CNG storage tube trailer ran low on fuel, we would bring in an additional full trailer and connect in. With trailers equipped with telematics, we're able to see trailer pressures in real-time to ensure 100% uptime. With two trailers connected, gas supply and flow is seamless. We then disconnect the empty trailer and haul it away for refueling. Throughout the weeks of service, empty trailers were rotated for full trailers creating a sustainable supply of natural gas to fuel the plant.
When pressure on the mainline dropped, our CNG trailers supplied additional gas into the system.
Success
In the end, the nut processing facility was able to fully run their expansion. We successfully procured, transported, delivered, depressurized and injected a total of 3,400.000 scf of natural gas to support their expansion.
Don't let energy infrastructure delays prevent you from expanding your operation. Through CNG Virtual Pipeline Services and Solutions, we can provide natural gas and power to sustain your growing operation.