Upgrade to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Fueling Station at 630 Stoney Drive, South Pasadena CA Contract No. ML09009A City of South Pasadena, CA July 15, 2014 Prepared for the Mobile Source Air Pollution Review Committee (MSRC) under the AB 2766 Discretionary Work Program.
Acknowledgements The City of South Pasadena wishes to thank the following individuals for their leadership and work on this project: The Mayor and Council of the City of South Pasadena, CA Paul Toor, PE, Director of Public Works Shin Furukawa, PE, Assistant Director of Public Works Gabriel Nevarez, Public Works Department Disclaimer The statements and conclusions in this report are those of the contractor and not necessarily those of the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) or the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). The mention of commercial products, their sources or their uses in connection with material reported herein is not to be construed as either an actual or implied endorsement of such products.
Summary and Conclusions The City of South Pasadena constructed a time-fill Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) station in 2009, which allowed for the overnight refueling of the City s fleet of CNG vehicles with the assistance of a Local Government Match Grant from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction and Review Committee (MSRC). This method was useful for the heavy-duty trucks utilized by Public Works or large Transit vans but faced limitations for vehicles that needed faster and more frequent refueling such as SUV-style transit vehicles, an administrative police vehicle and a black-white patrol car. In addition, as the City expands the fleet the existing time-fill dispensers would be inadequate in number. Therefore, South Pasadena sought the assistance of a second Local Government Match Grant to upgrade the station to also have a fast-fill dispenser and storage. The facility kept the same exterior footprint as well as all of the existing equipment from the original station. To keep costs low, the City used a design-build process. The grant and City funding, therefore, paid for the design and construction including the new concrete pads for the storage vessels, the vessels, installation of a new fueling island for the CNG fast-fill dispenser, provided new electrical power for the electronic valve panel and dispenser and provided the mechanical connections for the new storage and dispenser. Construction was problem-free and the station opened for City fleet use with a ribbon-cutting on April 17, 2014. The Notice of Completion was approved by City Council on April 23, 2014. The awarded contract was $251,860 with a 10% construction contingency. The project was completed without the need for any contingency dollars, and therefore was less than the approved grant amount. Including inspection fees, the grant paid for $125,930 and City co-funding was $126,749. The original grant award was for $137,500, with an estimated total project cost of $275,000. The use of a design-build process also assisted the City with advanced knowledge on the requirements of a CNG station that did not exist in-house. This was very helpful in the design and implementation and was one of the factors which helped deliver the project below the anticipated cost. The emissions benefits are derived from the use of CNG fueled vehicles; however access to the fuel is limited in the San Gabriel Valley. The closest station is 8 miles away which for the current fleet means about 45 minutes for each fueling to drive to the station, fill-up, and drive back to South Pasadena. At rush hour, the time required is even longer. This system was untenable for a growing fleet which was exceeding the slow-fill nozzles and new vehicles needing more frequent refueling. According to the Argonne National Laboratory's GREET model (Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation Model) estimates the life cycle petroleum use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of light-duty vehicles running on natural gas emits approximately 6% to 11% lower levels of GHGs than gasoline throughout the fuel life cycle. (www.afdc.energy.gov/ vehicles/natural_gas_emissions.html) The City has four light and medium duty vehicles in the fleet, with two more planned for FY 2014-15. Each of these six vehicles will have 6-11% lower GHG emissions. In addition, there are four heavy-duty CNG vehicles in the fleet, two transit buses and two public works trucks. According to the U.S. EPA, heavy-duty vehicles are projected to be the primary contributor to GHG emissions in the transportation sector by the year 2040. (www.epa.gov/rfa/heavyduty-phase2.html ) By placing the fueling station infrastructure into service now, the City will be able to purchase and fuel more of these vehicle types and reduce the overall municipal GHG emissions both now and as 2040 approaches.
In addition to CNG fleet expansion, the City will continue to explore opportunities to open the fueling station to other fleet users. Photographs New Fast Fill Dispenser at Ribbon Cutting
New Tanks and Concrete Pad
Public Outreach (South Pasadena Review, April 23, 2014, Page 3)