McGill Associates Completes CNG Station Sites for PSNC

Natural gas has been touted as a cleaner, more efficient energy source with less by-products than other fossil fuels, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The odorless, colorless gas has been used for heating and cooking in homes and businesses for many years. Now, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is gaining in popularity for use in fueling vehicles as an alternative to petroleum products like gasoline and diesel. CNG is natural gas stored at high pressure. As the use of CNG grows in the U.S., the number of CNG fueling stations is also growing across the country.

In North Carolina, PSNC Energy hired McGill Associates to design the sites for seven public CNG fueling stations. Most recently, the firm completed a PSNC CNG fueling station in Durham, permitted a CNG site in Concord, and began construction on a site in Mills River, near Hendersonville. The stations provide 24-hour access to the alternative fuel as demand continues to increase in the Triangle area. McGill Associates also assisted PSNC with CNG fueling stations in Chapel Hill, Apex, Troutman, and Asheville.

The facilities utilize Ingersoll Rand 20F40NGDX compressors, 21,770 lbs cascade storage tanks, Tulsa Gas Technologies Series T7000 dispensers with metal canopies, and three-phase power with a minimum 150 kVA transformers.

McGill Associates performed site design, electrical engineering, permitting, bidding and award, and construction observation services in the development of these stations. The firm coordinated with PSNC staff to integrate these new facilities into existing sites, paying special attention to traffic flow and the needs of proposed customers and their vehicles.