Business Structure

Virtual Gas Network (Pty) Ltd

Virtual Gas Network (Pty) Ltd supplies Natural Gas in Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) form (to hold more volume) via special tubes transported on trailers. This innovative modular road transport system safely and economically transports Natural Gas to customers in the industrial and commercial sectors, customers wishing to set up internal gas distribution networks, and power generation systems (such as co-generation and tri-generation projects).

CNG is a viable alternative to traditional energy sources, such as LPG, diesel, paraffin and coal.

This road distribution system also supplies CNG refuelling stations and customers who have no direct access to the existing gas network.

The virtual distribution system is specifically designed to provide solutions for:

• Customers who are too far to draw from an existing pipeline;
• Large industrial / commercial customers within a 300 km radius from a Compression Station (Mother Station); and
• Smaller customers that will form part of a larger distribution network, such as industrial parks, housing developments, and mixed use developments.

Virtual Gas Network has established a “Mother Station” in Langlaagte, Johannesburg, next to the Egoli storage tanks and Sasol pipeline; this is linked directly to the Sasol supply line via Egoli at a 30 Bar pressure. The Mother Station compresses the Natural Gas to between 200 and 250 Bar and then feeds the gas into tube trailers for transport to customer sites. Once at the customer, the used tube trailer is replaced by the full tube trailer, pressure is reduced via a pressure regulating station and supplied into the customer’s network at a constant flow rate to suit their requirements (between 1 and 10 Bar).

Industrial customers have been receiving CNG via the Virtual Gas Network’s gas distribution network since 2011 in South Africa. These include factories, blue chip customers like dog food manufacturers and industrial bakeries who have used them in boilers, driers, furnaces and oven. Their average savings on energy costs are between 18-25%, depending on the energy source substituted.

Industrial equipment

For industrial applications, Virtual Gas Network provides the following:

Nanobox/Pocket
This compact, explosion-proof "plug and play" module, complete with storage, compressor and dispenser, can be installed on an existing pipeline servicing smaller fleets of cars and forklifts.

Microbox/BRC Equipment
This compact, explosion-proof compressor with its own bank of storage is used in conjunction with individual dispensers. This powerful compressor is used where the filling time of the vehicles is crucial, such as at commercial gas filling stations or large fleet owners of busses and taxis.

MAT
A MAT is a modular transport "battery" of seamless cylinders interconnected with each other to produce a collective capacity of around 1 500 m³.

Boosters
At a remote gas filling station, MAT modules are connected to the dispenser to ensure the correct compression ratio of the dispensed CNG.

Regulating plant
This manages the supply of CNG to the end user, reducing the pressure to densities as low as 1 Bar.