Gas Natural to Construct Europe’s Largest NGV Supply Station in Madrid

January 19, 2010 | Spain, Madrid

The new fCNG facility will match equivalent diesel refueling for speed

EMT currently operates 411 CNG buses

9 simultaneous refueling lanes, 180 buses per hour; operational by mid 2010

Spanish gas supplier Gas Natural has been awarded the construction of an NGV supply station to serve the Empresa Municipal de Transportes de Madrid (EMT)’s fleet of about 400 buses that will operate out of its new Sanchinarro Operations Center (Madrid). Gas Natural says this facility, scheduled to go into operation in mid 2010, will become the largest European NGV refueling station, both by fleet volume and compression capacity, and one of the largest in the world.

The contract, which will run for 12 years, envisages an investment of approximately EUR 6 million (USD 8.48 million) to build the refueling station, and a turnover exceeding 100 million (USD 141.4 million) over its duration from bus refueling operations.

The station will have nine simultaneous refueling lanes that can serve up to 180 buses per hour, thus matching the usual refueling times for diesel vehicles. The project also includes a separate refueling area for other NGVs, such as taxis and other fleet professionals.

EMT anticipates annual emission reductions of 54 tons of nitrogen oxides and almost 4 tons of particulates, from refueling the 400 buses with natural gas, stating that “natural gas remains today the best alternative to improve the current problem of air quality in our cities”.

EMT, which commenced natural gas operations in 1994, currently has 411 CNG buses refueling from its Fuencarral Operations Center, located in the north of the capital. The immediate plans include expanding the CNG fleet to 663 units by 2011, using both the Fuencarral and Sanchinarro Operations Centers.

(Este artículo también está disponible en Espanol)