Smart Solutions for Emissions Reduction
CenterPoint Energy is piloting a new, groundbreaking mobile compression device to help advance emissions reductions in the state of Minnesota. Championed by a passionate employee, this device is taking CenterPoint’s emissions reduction efforts to a new level.
The utility’s work in Minnesota highlights its leadership in advancing emissions reduction across the natural gas industry. Since 2019, CenterPoint has actively deployed cross-compression technology— a vacuum-like process that captures natural gas from pipelines during replacement, maintenance and repair, and transfers that fuel back into the system. According to the utility, this means customers can use that natural gas to fuel homes and businesses and avoid any waste.
Cross-compression technology is not new, but units can be bulky and take up significant space on crew trucks and trailers, and they are time consuming to set up. This has generally limited its use to larger projects or pipeline segments with higher pressures.
CenterPoint says the new, more mobile cross-compression device will be easier to use and more efficient for in-field technicians. This updated equipment was created in collaboration with company subject matter experts and an American-based manufacturer: Midwest Pressure Systems of Valparaiso, Indiana.
Creating a new piece of equipment and associated safety processes requires vision and support across many departments at a utility and with external parties—understanding scalability, keeping safety paramount in all decision making and finding a trusted external resource to manufacture this new device.
Enter Roger Schmitz, an Operations Supervisor at CenterPoint Energy in Minnesota. He recognized this opportunity and created a tool that could aid in making this technology more accessible, mobile and efficient. Schmitz has been at the utility for nearly 20 years, previously serving as a truck mechanic, and has a master’s degree in operations. If there’s a tool to develop or problem that needs to be fixed, Schmitz is an invaluable resource to finding, and building, a solution for CenterPoint.
“We have a spirt of innovation and continuous improvement at CenterPoint Energy, and I had support from my leadership, while thinking about ways to support in-field technicians in removing barriers to implement cross-compression at more job sites,” said Schmitz.
With the prototype originally created by Schmitz now a reality through the collaboration with Midwest Pressure Systems, CenterPoint Energy is piloting this smaller, more agile device that provides the benefits of its larger counterparts. The mobile unit can be easily transported to various job sites, weighing only 60 pounds, making it feasible to use cross-compression on a wider range of projects — including smaller maintenance and inspection jobs that previously used venting.
This pilot demonstrates the solutions that employees can bring to their workplace. Employee innovations for operational optimization, such as this device Schmitz developed, will play a critical role in continued emissions reductions in Minnesota.
Schmitz added, “It’s been exciting to work with our internal team and Midwest Pressure Systems to develop a cross-compression device to support CenterPoint Energy’s ongoing commitment to emissions reductions but also provide a cost-effective, smaller-scale solution other natural gas utilities can implement as well.”
In the past decade, CenterPoint Energy has reduced emissions from Minnesota operations by 25% through investments in efforts to keep natural gas in the pipe and out of the air.
Company-wide, CenterPoint Energy anticipates reducing methane emissions by about 1/3 by 2035 (from a 2021 baseline) through pipeline modernization efforts and methane-reduction technologies. Innovations in cross-compression and other operational optimization efforts support this aim.
For other natural gas utilities, CenterPoint Energy’s approach offers valuable insights. By identifying practical barriers to technology adoption—in this case, the mobility and deployment challenges—utilities can accelerate the integration of emissions-reducing tools into everyday operations.
As regulatory landscapes evolve and customer expectations grow, solutions that balance environmental benefits with operational efficiency will remain crucial.
The utility anticipates expanded use of these devices across its Minnesota service area as it gathers data from its mobile cross-compression pilot and feedback from technicians using this currently in the field. Early results show promise, demonstrating not just emissions reductions but also innovation to move the natural gas industry forward.