Dual Fuel Backs Up Pfizer In Case of Emergency

Pfizer Inc.'s business operations at its New York City headquarters complex were seriously compromised by the terrorists attacks of September 11, 2001, and again during a widespread power failure on August 14, 2003.

In September, 2003, Pfizer authorized a detailed study of whether installing on-site power generation at its buildings would protect its personnel in the event of another incident. The results of that study led the company to APG.

Prepared by AKF Engineers' New York office in association with a design team from Pfizer and Cushman & Wakefield, the study recommended that each of the headquarters complex's three major high rise buildings be equipped with its own generator. This course of action would provide minimal power for both an orderly shutdown of the headquarters complex; and for limited extended operations, including life-safety, fire protection, freeze protection, minimal heat and air conditioning and ventilation in the area of refuge for the employees who would remain in the buildings.

Pfizer was not satisfied with merely meeting city codes, which require businesses to have enough fuel on hand to run emergency generators a minimum of six hours. Instead, the pharmaceutical company wanted the capability to protect its personnel by providing continuous power for 10 days.

Storing enough diesel fuel in each building to operate the generators for 10 days was impractical. Pfizer was required by code to run its generators on diesel fuel, but needed an alternative plan in order to ensure its headquarters could be operational for an extended period.

Pfizer's solution was to work with APG to modify standard Caterpillar engines to operate on dual fuel, a carefully measured combination of diesel fuel and natural gas. The engines can run on 100 percent diesel if necessary, or they can use a dual fuel mixture of diesel and natural gas.

Pfizer obtained the long-term backup power generation capability it needed without the expense of installing massive additional diesel storage tanks. As an added bonus, the engines are more dependable than regular diesel generators. Deliveries of diesel are easily interrupted in an emergency, but natural gas, supplied in New York by Con Edison, is reliable.

With the dual fuel conversion, Pfizer's engines run on a mixture of at least 60 percent gas and 40 percent diesel, and more frequently 70 percent gas and 30 percent diesel.

Pfizer can operate its generators for 48 hours with the diesel fuel it stores on site. But when the engines are using dual fuel, that same amount of diesel fuel lasts up to two weeks.

The system was completed in February 2006 and the generators are now in operation.

For more information about APG's dual fuel technology, call 866-249-2563.