Optimal dispatch of grid and natural gas generator power in a scheduled compressed natural gas fuelling station

Compressed natural gas fuelling stations have the option to power compressors from grid or from natural gas generators installed as back up power on site. In locations where electricity is sold under a time-of-use tariff, optimal dispatching of the two sources can result in minimized electricity cost which is a significant fraction of operation cost for such stations. A model predictive control method is implemented in this study to tackle the combined dispatch and scheduling problem achieving savings of up to 64.67% in electricity cost. The outcomes from this study show that there are energy cost saving opportunities in the interaction between CNG stations and electricity grid, that can be exploited to lower the cost of gas delivery.