Sapphire Gas Solutions (Sapphire) has helped producers nationwide meet their ESG goals by reducing emissions from asphalt plants using purified methane in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as the primary fuel source. Sapphire, to date, has transported, filled, and vaporized billions of cubic feet of natural gas, equating to well over a 100 million LNG gallons used to replace dirtier, less efficient burning fuels like diesel, waste oil, refined fuel oil, and propane. In addition to the environmental benefits, Sapphire said its efforts have also saved its customers capital.
Sapphire offers equipment solutions ranging from stationary to mobile, allowing both permanent and mobile asphalt plants to operate on natural gas when an existing gas pipeline is not available or undersized to meet the customer’s demand. Sapphire has a nationwide footprint and trained technical teams that currently provide LNG to asphalt plants and other heavy industrial and agricultural customers in almost every state in the United States. Sapphire helps its customers achieve emissions reductions with LNG, which is purified methane processed to −265°F (−165°C) which reduces the size of the methane molecule by 600 times the ambient size. The process allows the transfer and storage of more gas on-site. Sapphire believes its LNG solution is a more efficient process since LNG is a much simpler hydrocarbon to use in industrial applications, including power generation, which ultimately reduces emissions over other traditional fuel sources.
Sapphire said its asphalt customers achieve an average of a heated ton of asphalt produced between 2.3 and 2.5 LNG gallons, or 190,000 to 206,000 BTUs, per heated ton of asphalt, depending on moisture content. This efficiency and massive emissions reductions provides added ESG benefits compared to diesel, propane, or refined fuel oil, commonly referred to as complex hydrocarbons.
In addition to its contributions to the asphalt paving industry, the virtual pipeline services company has a diverse fleet of mobile compressed natural gas, LNG, and cross-compression equipment and a growing footprint in the renewable natural gas (RNG) market. Sapphire provides logistic support for multiple dairies and landfills nationwide, transporting RNG to market when pipeline infrastructure is unavailable or not near the renewable gas source.
The National Safety Commission (NSC) awarded Sapphire the Perfect Record Award, which is an achievement for companies that have gone more than 12 consecutive months without incurring a lost time incident. In addition, NSC recognized Sapphire with the Occupational Excellence Award, for operating above and beyond the safety recordable rates set by its peers.
