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Propane Infrastructure Development

There is much to consider when building propane (also known as liquefied petroleum gas or LPG) fueling infrastructure. This page provides resources to help you start.

Getting Started

Photo of Four people fueling a vehicle from a CleanFuel brand propane pump.

Propane refueling station and vehicle

Availability of infrastructure is the driving force behind acceptance of any fuel. Fleets depend on being able to locate fuel within a reasonable distance at a competitive price. States with abundant propane resources can offer a sound business case for installing propane infrastructure to service their fleets. The City of Austin, Texas, for example, operates a fleet of more than 200 F150 propane trucks that fuel at the city's six fueling yards. Surrounding Travis County operates 80 propane F150 trucks. In addition, the Texas State Highway Department operates numerous grass cutting machines that run on propane for highway maintenance.

The capital structure needed for production, storage, and bulk distribution of propane already exists. Additional infrastructure investments may be required for automotive use to accommodate the higher throughput. The majority of incremental infrastructure costs, however, relate to the expansion of the distribution network.

Additional investment is required to adapt existing fueling station infrastructure to dispense propane, including the installation of underground tanks. The cost of installing the necessary equipment for dispensing propane (tank, pump, and metering equipment) is less than that for dispensing compressed natural gas, which requires dedicated supply lines, high-pressure compression, storage cylinders, and special dispensers.

Infrastructure costs and operating expenses are discussed in Fleet Economics, on the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) Web site. The page contains information on infrastructure costs, capital costs, and operating costs.

Also visit the Fleets section for information on how to build your alternative fuel vehicle fleet.

Propane Information and Advocacy Organizations

The following organizations provide information about propane vehicle and infrastructure technology, standards, safety, policy, advocacy, and more:

Training

Visit the AFDC Alternative Fuels Training page to learn about organizations that provide propane vehicle and infrastructure training.

Fleet Experiences

Visit the Fleet Experiences page to learn how others have successfully implemented propane vehicles and infrastructure and read about the benefits and challenges they experienced.

The article Building Successful AFV Fueling Stations—Tips, Best Practices, and Lessons Learned (PDF 1.5 MB) summarizes characteristics of successful infrastructure development projects. Download Adobe Reader.