The Public Service Board has signed off on a liquefied natural gas storage facility for Omya Inc., a decision that will allow the company to switch from more expensive No. 2 fuel oil to run its Pittsford calcium carbonate plant.

In its order of Nov. 9, the PSB issued a certificate of public good for a 120,000-gallon liquefied natural gas storage facility, consisting of eight, 15,000 gallon vertical tanks.

The tanks will be built within a “concrete impoundment area” capable of containing all 120,000 gallons in case of a spill.

The PSB has regulatory authority over LNG storage projects under Section 248. It is the first facility of its kind in the state to be issued a certificate of public good.

Jim Stewart, Omya plant manager, said Wednesday that with the CPG in hand the next step is to complete the final design and submit that to the PSB for approval. Stewart estimated that the $8 million LNG facility would be built and online a year from now.

Omya grinds marble ore that’s mixed with water to produce both a wet, or slurry, product and a dry product, both for a variety of industries.

Half of the plant’s production is dry product which requires the use of six dryers using No. 2 fuel oil. Omya also heats its buildings with three boilers using fuel oil.

Stewart said the Omya plant consumes an average of 900,000 liters of fuel oil a month (238,000 gallons).

According to the findings outlined in the PSB’s order, liquefied natural gas has several advantages over fuel oil: it is half the price of fuel oil and “has a relatively stable price and supply forecast.”

There are also environmental benefits with liquefied natural gas reducing emissions, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.

For the complete story, see Thursday's Rutland Herald.