Issue link: http://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/715089
Crowley transfers LNG from an ISO tank to an industrial manufacturer's vertical storage tanks in Puerto Rico. It takes three, 40-foot, 10,000-gallon ISO tanks to fill the two storage tanks on-site. Powering Land-Based Facilities with LNG Not only can Crowley help a customer convert its plant to run on LNG instead of diesel, reducing energy costs and carbon dioxide emissions, but the company can help them capitalize on LNG byproducts as well. During regasification, the LNG is vaporized for use as an energy source, meaning, it's converted from liquid back to pipeline natural gas. It's that natural gas that is piped into a customer's facility so that a generator can utilize it for power. But, the exhaust heat coming off the generator can be used for several byproducts like carbonation, pasteurization, absorption chilling to run coolers, hot water for plant cleaning, etc. "To date, we have successfully converted both a leading biopharmaceutical manufacturing company and Coca-Cola Puerto Rico Bottlers (CC1) from diesel to LNG," said Kevin Frantz, director LNG engineering. "We had engineers in the plant from planning, through construction, through the first several deliveries of LNG to ensure the conversion was seamless and to educate the customer on the process. We as a company have often been leaders in emerging technologies across various pieces of our industry and our ability to help customers realize the obvious and not-so-obvious benefits of LNG in their business is no exception." One of those not-so-obvious benefits in the case of CC1 was the carbon dioxide (CO2) exhaust byproduct. The bottler used CO2 from other sources regularly to carbonate their products. But, with the help of Frantz, they determined that the CO2 exhaust from the LNG regasification could be repurposed as free carbonation for the bottling process, further lowering total plant emissions and eliminating around 200,000 pounds of CO2 from the atmosphere each year. After a single year, CC1 has reported over $300,000 in fuel cost savings, a 37 percent reduction in CO2 plant emissions, and a 10 percent increase in boiler efficiency. Realizing that as plants converted from more traditional fuels to LNG, they'd need a way to source and transport it. Crowley subsidiary Carib Energy became the first company ever to receive a small-scale, 25-year export license from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for LNG transportation from the U.S. into Free Trade Agreement (FTA) countries, and a small-scale, 20-year LNG export license from the DOE from the U.S. into Non-Free Trade Agreement (NFTA) countries. These licenses allow Crowley to meet the current and future energy needs of its customers by supplying U.S.-sourced LNG to both commercial and industrial companies in FTA countries with up to 140 million gallons a year; and NFTA countries with up to 171 million gallons a year. Also, Crowley is the first company to supply customers in Puerto Rico 31 Connections Summer 2016 Story continued on page 32 Below: Crowley's engineering team designed the re-gasification system to support the customer's natural gas requirements.