PRCI

Recent Results

Preparing for 2013 - Lessons Learned from NOx RACT and SIP Call (Phase 1)

New air quality standards and modifications to existing regulations continue to be introduced. Of particular impact on compressor engines are the ozone national ambient air quality standard and the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) one hour standard.  While all stakeholders are presently waiting for EPA to declare a new set of non-attainment areas for ozone, it is clear that a significant number of engines operating in natural gas transportation service will require retrofit NOx modifications.  For NO2, a combination of station modifications (higher exhaust stacks and possibly alterations to the alignment of stacks) will be evaluated at affected sites.  However, it is possible that NOx retrofits may be required where the NO2 modeling indicates fence line levels exceed the standard.

The preceding PRCI NOx retrofit technology development program, known as Emissions Reduction for Legacy Engines (ERLE), successfully developed a number of options providing cost-effective emission controls.  While technologies to reduce NOx emissions were demonstrated in the program to be viable, as were earlier-generation options in the field, their physical implementation has not always been economical or optimized.  In fact, there have been some negative experiences where installation costs and timelines were very disappointing.

Key Results

The focus of this project was to gather the best practices from those who have previously implemented successful NOx reduction projects, identify project risk factors, and develop guidelines to enable the efficient execution of future retrofit projects.

The report focuses on accurate scope development, project management, and project execution. Several tools have been provided to help ensure a complete development of the project scope. Additional tools are provided to assist in capturing emission reduction requirements, project scheduling, vendor bid evaluation, and cost tracking. The report is being finalized and will be posted on the member website in the coming days.

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