Deploying Natural Gas Technologies to Enhance Infrastructure Reliability and Mission Readiness

GTI Energy, in partnership with Construction Engineering Research Laboratory  (CERL), is advancing natural gas technology at the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, MS to improve natural gas efficiency, reduce fuel consumption, and enhance energy independence across military installations.

Demonstrated Energy and Infrastructure Upgrades

The initial work replaced 53 legacy systems with 49 advanced natural gas prototypes across more than 157 buildings. The upgrades included:

• 23 high-efficiency natural gas-fired boilers
• 4 water heaters
• 9 radiant tube heaters
• 5 unit heaters
• 4 natural gas electric packaged units
• 2 hybrid air compressors
• 2 backup generators

Energy savings were calculated using an annual capacity factor of 0.05 for backup generators and 0.2 for other equipment to account for the low usage of the system at this facility. Despite the low system utilization, the installed equipment is still estimated to save over 14.12 billion Btus of natural gas and 328.3 MWh of electricity annually. In addition, GTI collaborated with the utility to lower their rates which offered additional significant savings.

Next-Generation Power Resilience Demonstration

In a separate, ongoing initiative, GTI Energy is working with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and partners to demonstrate a Pilot Power Generation system designed to support mission resilience and operational flexibility. This project is evaluating a next-generation natural gas-fired uninterruptible power system that supports rapid deployment and flexible integration.

The system is being evaluated for its ability to provide 5.2 megawatt of reliable backup power during grid disruptions and emergency conditions, helping installations maintain mission readiness. Project completion is expected in 2027.

These efforts at ERDC Vicksburg represent a scalable pathway to improve infrastructure reliability and energy resilience using natural gas as a flexible, high-performance energy source for critical defense facilities.