EMT Sanchinarro Operation Center: "Record Station"

Background

Madrid City Council has chosen the field of mobility and transport as one of the main areas to develop its environmental policy, which is aimed at substantial improvements in the quality of the air and the citizens’ life.

Consequently, in 2010, Madrid’s Municipal Transport Company (EMT) decided to reduce the environmental impact of its bus fleet with the progressive replacement of diesel vehicles by modern models, driven by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

The adoption of CNG was intended to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides by approximately 54 tons (119,000 pounds), lower particulates by an estimate of 4 tons (8,800 lbs), and cut CO2 emissions by 15 to 20%.

Galileo Technology

The significant change the city of Madrid and EMT pursued involved the construction of the necessary public infrastructure to ensure the daily performance of the new vehicles. The challenge was taken by Galileo along with its distributor in Spain, HAM. Both companies were selected to equip and mount the CNG refueling station of EMT Sanchinarro Operation Center, located in northern Madrid.

Inaugurated on November 17, 2010, this service area designed by Galileo is Europe's largest CNG refueling station, and the fastest by international standards. These unparalled features led the press to refer to this station as the “record station”.

Its magnitude can be seen in the 5,500 square meters (59,201 sqft) refueling area, divided into nine streets with refueling capacity to supply a total of 150 to 180 buses per hour. Therefore, the 400 buses, which it was conceived for, can fill their tanks in less than three and a half hours. Due to its refueling speed, Sanchinarro is considered the fastest CNG station worldwide.

Each of its nine refueling streets is equipped with a CNG Microcore® packaged compressor to provide a total compression capacity of 25,000 normal cubic meters per hour (Nm³/h) (7,000 GGE per hour). Thanks to the unique Common Manifold® direct refueling technology, this compression capacity results in the simultaneous operation of nine EMB® ultra-high flow dispensers. This structure designed by Galileo enables an average filling time of approximately 3 minutes per bus for a fuel tank of 180 standard cubic meters (Sm³) (6,357 scf), in addition to a longer vehicle autonomy.

As refueled buses must cover a large area of the city—including the districts of Barajas, Hortaleza, Fuencarral, Chamartin, Centro, Salamanca, Ciudad Lineal and San Blas—it was central to achieve their maximum autonomy as one of the goals of the project. To achieve this goal, each Microcore® compresses the natural gas at a pressure of up to 300 bar (4,350 pounds per square inch) and lowers its temperature below 15 °C (59 °F) by applying the Coldbox® Technology. Both processes allow for a bigger CNG load per tank and contribute to the speed of the operation.

Another objective was to keep this station working 24 hours a day. With this purpose in mind, a central control system manages the start-ups and shutdowns of the Microcore®, optimizing their hours of operation and ensuring a steady supply of CNG. Furthermore, as the fueling station had to contribute to optimizing the energy consumption of the entire Operation Center, the Microcore® have an intelligent speed control, called Enersave®. This control system controls and adjusts the compression capacity according to the demand of CNG. This ensures the availability of CNG flow as required,  as well as the saving of energy by reducing the number of the equipment start-ups and shutdowns.

The environmental efficiency of Galileo technology is also shown  in the installation of an innovative gas recovery system which completely elliminates methane emissions into the atmosphere. Simultaneously, the full capacity of the station control is monitored, via internet through the SCADA system (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) of Galileo. The use of this tool facilitates the work of technical supervision and increases system reliability thanks to the  permanent monitoring of the facility.

Part of a major project

It is worth highlighting that the CNG refueling station is part of an operation center which occupies an area of 59,000 sqm (635,064 sqft) and serves nearly one-fifth of the EMT bus fleets. Sanchinarro has an operation concept similar to the ongoing process of an automotive factory, and the CNG refueling station was designed to run accordingly. Buses are identified automatically upon arrival at the service station; quickly and efficiently, all services such as fueling, lubricating, adjusting tire pressure, and cleaning are provided for optimal functioning.

Sanchinarro intends to be an example of sustainability in the full sense of the word. Apart from the benefits of its CNG station, it features a photovoltaic plant for the production of hot clean water and a recycling plant for its own waste. It also has sound barriers and 3,000 plant species that minimize impact on the urban environment.

The construction of this operation center required an investment of 47 million euros. In Mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardón's words, the global objective of the project is "to make Madrid one of the most committed cities in the use of alternative and cleaner fuels."

“The completion of this work will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides, one of the biggest problems of Madrid, as well as the consequent emission of particulate matter and sulfur," added Pedro Calvo, City Councillor for Safety and Mobility. In this regard, it is noteworthy that in 2010 the average annual concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), measured at different points in Madrid, exceeded the value of 40 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³) indicated by Council Directive 2008/50/CE of European air quality legislation.

In the opening ceremony, Mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardón said in his speech that "the conversion of EMT to natural gas and the subsequent investment in fueling stations and related infrastructure makes sense environmentally, politically and economically."

"All environmental policy involves expenditure, but citizens consider that its cost will be higher in the near future, if there is no implementation of an adequate environmental policy. In Spain, the price of diesel continues increasing at a rate higher than the one of  natural gas. The purchase of diesel-powered buses is unjustifiable for any city manager."

Alberto Ruiz Gallardón - Mayor of Madrid

“The purpose of this change,” Gallardón said, “is to accompany Madrid and its citizens on their way to a more sustainable future , with greater opportunities for progress and a better life quality.

Summary 

• 9 CNG Microcore® MSP330 Packaged Compressors with a total compression capacity of 25,000 Nm³/h (7,000 GGE/hour).
• 9 EMB ultra-high flow dispensers.
• Common Manifold for direct filling and simultaneous operation of all dispensers.
• Coldbox: enables a larger refueling volume for greater bus autonomy.
• Enersave: provides energy savings by reducing the number of equipment starts and stops.
• Galileo DigiHub: SCADA system for remote monitoring and management via the internet.

A record-breaking station in numbers

The Sanchinarro station is not only the largest in Europe, with an impressive 5,500-square-meter refueling area, but it also redefines operational efficiency in CNG refueling. Its nine-lane design ensures a constant flow, allowing it to supply CNG to 400 buses—nearly a fifth of Madrid's fleet—in under three and a half hours.

This performance makes it the fastest CNG refueling station in the world. With the capacity to service between 150 and 180 buses per hour and an average fueling time of just three minutes per vehicle, Sanchinarro stands as a success story and a global benchmark in clean fuel infrastructure.