Prague Increases CNG Fuelling Capability with New Station

A fifth CNG refuelling station was put into operation for the public in Prague in February 2010. This new, and at the same time the first low-energy CNG station connected to a high-pressure gas pipeline, is also the first CNG station on the left bank of the river Vltava. Vehicles are refuelled on a self-service basis and the station is in non-stop operation. Bonett Gas Investment, a.s., the main supplier, delivered and built the station on a turnkey basis. Twenty-five public CNG refuelling stations are currently in operation in the Czech Republic.

At a gas regulating station, the CNG refuelling station is connected to a 24-bar high-pressure gas pipeline; using the high pressure of the gas upstream from the regulating station as the input pressure for the compressor is the greatest advantage of this solution, which ultimately helps to reduce compression work and achieve significant savings of the electrical energy required for operating the compressor (the compressor only needs 0.13 kWh of electricity for compressing one cubic metre of gas).

Prior to compression, the gas is filtered and completely dried in a Zander unit. The IMW compressor has an output of 234 cu m/hr. It is an oil-free compressor, which helps to avoid potential complications with oil in output gas. The output pressure of the gas flowing into CNG storage tanks is 30 MPa, and vehicles receive CNG under a pressure of up to 24 MPa. The pressure vessels have a gas storage capacity of 980 Nm³. During peaks, more than 500 kg of CNG can be filled in two hours. The dual-hose Kraus Global HAM dispenser has an NGV1 nozzle for up to 20 kg/minute (for passenger cars) and an NGV2 nozzle for up to 70 kg/minute (for trucks and buses).

*******

Kraus Global is a dispensing manufacturing & engineering facility in Winnipeg Manitoba. They have been involved with hydrogen infrastructure projects since 1999 and are currently members of the Canadian Committee for Hydrogen, as well as the BKCH and OFDC.