Upstate South Carolina gains new efficient energy source as Patriots Energy Group opens natural gas compressor station

Sitting on a 15-acre site, Patriots Energy Group’s (PEG) new 7500-horsepower (hp) compressor station is officially complete and able to help maintain reliable and efficient natural gas energy for the Chester County Natural Gas Authority (CCNGA), Lancaster County Natural Gas Authority (LCNGA) and York County Natural Gas Authority (YCNGA).

In recent years, the tri-county region has quickly become one of the fastest growing areas in the country, making the need for change to support this growth inevitable.

Record levels of consumption, as well as the need for additional reliable infrastructure, has led to an increase in the demand for natural gas. In turn, YCNGA and PEG began planning for a new station that would allow PEG to maximize the supply provided to its members, including YCNGA, who will operate and maintain the facility well into the future.

Fred Hanna, Goodwyn Mills Cawood’s (GMC) Natural Gas Practice Leader, began working on the master plan for the project while with another firm and saw it through to fruition once he came on board with GMC in 2020.

Although the project was finished on time and within budget, it didn’t come without obstacles.

With development beginning in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hanna and his team had to think strategically on how to best get ahead and tackle the complications involving long lead time delivery and supply chain market conditions.

“Our solution was to streamline the schedule by completing the site work as a separate division from the plant,” explains Hanna. “Something that made a huge difference was our decision to purchase major materials and electrical equipment well in advance of construction. This not only helped to minimize issues during build out, but we also benefitted from the lower interest rates.”

The facility officially opened in November 2023 and has already shown tremendous improvement and a positive impact on the community.

“Being able to meet Patriot Energy Group’s energy requirements and deliver gas to their customers in peak winter conditions, along with expanding their gas throughput capacity on peak day prior to their gas supply contracts was a huge accomplishment for our team,” said Hanna.

GMC provided a wide variety of services including site civil engineering design, construction administrative services, regulatory and environmental permitting, contractor pre-qualification, procurement, bidding and bid evaluation, as well as management of site scientific services, FEED studies and detail engineering design.