Reavell and Roadgas Partner Together to Support World's Largest Biogas Bus Fleet

 

 

The partnership will see Gardner Denver design, engineer and commission two containerised Reavell Gazpack 5470 high-pressure compressors; a critical component in the Roadgas CNG refuelling station design.

Roadgas first teamed up with NCT in 2016 to support the transformation of the city’s fleet of double-decker buses to biomethane, a renewable and carbon-neutral fuel source. The first phase of the project has enabled 53 buses to be fuelled by biogas, helping NCT to reduce CO₂ by nearly 3,500 tonnes, cut harmful NO_X emissions by 35 tonnes and reduce particulate matter.

Now, NCT has commissioned Roadgas to extend the capacity of the CNG refuelling station for the second phase of its project. This will enable a further 67 biogas buses to be added to the fleet, making it the world’s largest biogas fleet in operation.  This requires substantial upgrades to the existing station, including the new Gardner Denver compressor system as David Rix, Managing Director at Roadgas explains:

“We required a compressor supplier with significant technical and engineering expertise in order to overcome a number of challenges posed by this site. When we installed the first phase of the station, it was always designed with the intention to be able to increase capacity at a later date, but this does mean that space is relatively limited for the additional compressors now required.

“In addition, the compressors are sited outdoors and require housing to protect them from the elements, as well as noise attenuation as the station is located close to a residential area.

“Gardner Denver, with its custom engineered product capabilities, proved to be the ideal partner for this phase of the work. The team was able to suggest a number of intelligent design improvements to the core Reavell design that would deliver additional efficiency and performance benefits, in a complete, engineered package.  They were also able to increase gas flow from 900 m³/hr to 1,088 m³/hr.”

The existing compressors are water-cooled, which can require additional maintenance to avoid any leaks, whereas the Reavell solution uses innovative five-stage compression with air cooling. This multiple stage compression, with inter-stage cooling reduces operating temperatures, helping improve component life and reducing scheduled maintenance.

Gardner Denver has designed a taller, containerised solution that will fit more easily in to the available floor space and provide quicker access for servicing.

David adds, “Above all, as a British engineering firm based in the East Midlands, we are proud to be partnering with a manufacturer here in the UK that shares our values for providing specialist engineering solutions backed by intelligent design. Together we will help NCT to meet its clean air obligations and reduce carbon emissions for the city of Nottingham.”

Peter Satchwell, Sales Director for the High-Pressure Division at Gardner Denver said, “We are proud to be partnering with Roadgas to help NCT improve air quality and the environment for local residents. We are continually developing our compressor systems to deliver improved efficiency, increased uptime and performance so it is great to be able to put these benefits in to practice. 

“We look forward to starting the installation on site this year and helping in the UK’s wider drive to reduce harmful roadside emissions further.”

Installation is scheduled to begin in June 2019 with the new CNG refuelling station due to be commissioned by October 2019.  The Roadgas engineers will also receive factory training from Gardner Denver as part of the agreement, plus the ongoing provision of genuine parts and service kits.

For more information on Roadgas, please visit www.roadgas.co.uk