The Murcian Health Service (SMS) will provide natural gas to the Lorenzo Guirao Hospital in Cieza, the Santa María del Rosell University Hospital in Cartagena, and the Northwest Regional Hospital in Caravaca de la Cruz. It will also expand the service to the Virgen de la Arrixaca University Clinical Hospital, supplying the laundry and the maternity and child care hospital.
SMS manager Asensio López signed the agreement today with Pedro Ángel Santos, director of the natural gas distribution company Redexis, under which the necessary actions will be carried out to supply this fuel to the aforementioned hospitals.
Among the advantages of using natural gas as a fuel instead of diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are its lower greenhouse gas emission rates during combustion; lower maintenance costs and lower pollution risks, as large underground tanks are not required for diesel storage; fewer logistical challenges, as the fuel is supplied continuously and through pipelines; and a lower price.
In this regard, the SMS Energy Efficiency Master Plan provides for the replacement of the hospitals' current boilers, which supply hot water and air conditioning, with more energy-efficient ones. The current diesel boilers will be replaced with natural gas boilers.
The new boilers achieve higher efficiency, generate lower radiation losses, and integrate new systems such as economizers and smoke recovery systems, which will adapt their operation to current demand.
To replace the boilers and fuel, it is necessary to install pipelines (an underground pipeline) that will carry natural gas from the existing main gas distribution network to the necessary supply point in the hospital. These pipelines will also be used to transport gas to the hospital's kitchens, cafeterias, and laundries.
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