CLIFFWOOD BEACH , N.J. — Air & Gas Technologies, Inc. recently completed construction of a new compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station for the Lower Merion, Pa., School
District to provide state-of-the-art fueling for a fleet of sixty-eight clean fuel school buses and six work vans. Equipped with the CompAir Reavell GAZPACK 37 compressor package, the new fueling facility ushers in the “2nd Generation” of the Lower Merion CNG-powered bus fleet. With a second new station soon to be built, and new CNG buses on the way, the clean fuel bus program at Lower Merion will soon be ready for another decade or more of service.
Known as a leader in environmental awareness, the District first took action to “green” its fleet by switching from traditional diesel to clean-burning natural gas buses in 1996, subsequently building two CNG stations and ordering an entire fleet of CNG buses. After long and dependable work lives, both the stations and some of the school buses are ready to be replaced with new units that reflect over ten years worth of advances in efficiency, emissions improvements and reliability. “Going into our next generation of buses, we’ve already gone through the learning curve, all the ups and downs,” says Mike Andre, Lower Merion Supervisor of Transportation. “Originally, we heard there was an alternative to diesel and were willing to give it a try. Now we know what works, and what doesn’t, with the CNG fleet. We’re looking forward to years of service with our new station and buses.”
The District bus fleet has logged nearly 8 million miles, and displaced approximately 1 million gallons of diesel fuel.
“Dependability was our biggest concern,” says Andre. “The kids have to get to school and home—that’s not negotiable. If we can do it without polluting the air, or using foreign petroleum, all the better.”
The Lower Merion project brings together a highly skilled team with extensive experience in compressed natural gas transportation projects. The contractor, Cliffwood Beach, New Jersey-based Air & Gas Technologies, Inc., builder of the original two stations, was selected as the construction contractor for the present projects through a competitive bidding process. Air & Gas Technologies, Inc. is a premier builder of CNG stations in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic area, providing equipment, installation, and operation and maintenance services. GLB International, the project engineer, has designed numerous CNG stations, both in the United States and abroad.
The compressor manufacturer, CompAir Reavell, has installed hundreds of the GAZPACK units around the world. Known for its adaptability and versatility, the firm offers ten GAZPACK models, which are easily customized into modular installations suited for each customer’s specific requirements.
The key to success in this project, according to Air & Gas Technologies, Inc. President Vincent Tomasso, was the strong, comprehensive track record of the project team, bringing together a customer, equipment provider, design engineer, and installer who shared the same vision.
“We knew what the engineering requirements were, and were familiar with the bus fleet fueling profile, and what problems had cropped up in the past, having provided operations and maintenance to the District for ten years. We knew that with the CompAir GAZPACK 37 unit, the District would be provided with a dependable, easily maintained, world class fueling station. The Lower Merion stations get a lot of use, and we were looking ten to fifteen years down the road, making sure the District had what was going to be needed for its next generation of CNG buses.”
Known for its excellent performance, and serviceability, the GAZPACK 37, which utilizes the CompAir Model 5437 gas compressor unit, has been placed in demanding and hostile environments around the world, and is a globally accepted unit. Paul Green, Sales Manager for CompAir Reavell’s Americas High Pressure Division notes the GAZPACK “is second to none for ease of service and speedy routine maintenance, a perfectly balanced machine, which helps to ensure reliability and long service life”. Currently, CompAir Reavell, (which has recently been acquired by the USA compressor company Gardner Denver) seeks to expand its US presence with its high pressure range of air and gas compressors which are rated for pressure capabilities of up to 6000 psig.
The technology used at the Lower Merion station can be applied not only to school buses, but to other vehicle categories such as work trucks, refuse trucks, shuttle services, taxis and delivery fleets. With the current emphasis on alternative fuels and funding for new infrastructure and vehicles resulting from the President’s Economic Stimulus, the timing has never been better to “green” an organization’s fleet with clean-burning natural gas vehicles. Natural gas is an economical and realistic domestic alternative to foreign petroleum, with fewer price spikes; the technology is well-established and reliable, and government grants and tax credits can help with start-up costs.
