Courtesy Ray Energy Corp.
By Jill Nagy
Ray Energy Corp. recently opened a new propane rail and truck terminal in Hampton, near the New York-Vermont border.
A formal opening with ribbon cutting and an open house was held on Aug. 23, but the company has been using the new facility since March.
The company, headquartered in Troy, serves nine states in the Northeast, plus areas in Canada, from a network of five rail terminals, nine pipeline terminals, and a marine terminal. They are termed a midstream wholesale propane supplier They neither produce gas nor sell it on the retail market.
The newest Ray Energy plant is a 21-acre facility with four 60,000-gallon fuel tanks. The new 21-acre facility has a 16-spot rail siding (with an operational capacity of 28) and on-demand switching provided by Vermont Railroad. The company’s railcar mover provides the ability to offload 16 cars per day.
The Northeast depends upon rail to deliver approximately 75 percent of its propane supply, according to Ken Ray, president of Ray Energy. That is an increase of over 50 percent from a few years ago.
“Our location on the border of New York and Vermont was strategically selected to better serve propane marketers in the Northeast,” he said. “We can now reliably supply our customers the volumes they need—any time of year—with improved safety and service capabilities and better efficiencies.”
The truck loading rack currently has two operational lanes each with their own dedicated pump and loading station reducing wait time during the peak winter season, Ray noted. State-of-the-art technology provides electronic data transmission of every load and smart hoses secure product and protect personnel.
A third truck loading stanchion is expected to be online by the end of the year with expansion for a fourth independently operated truck loading bay planned for 2019 according to the company.
The new facility houses a new office building with room for propane safety trainings, video conferencing and meetings, and a driver’s area complete with hot and cold drinks, restroom, and a safety information area.
Tom Albrecht Sr., owner of Hilltop Construction Co. in Hudson Falls, which built the office building, described it as “an upscale office building, very attractive and a great location.”
He said the proximity of the propane storage and handling facilities presented no special problems. “It is just a state-of-the-art, wonderful building.”
This was the first project Hilltop built in conjunction with Ray Energy but, Albrecht said, they developed a good working relationship and he looks forward to future projects with the company.
Ray said the rail and truck terminal will provide safer fuel access and better management while helping to reduce truck and rail traffic to and from the Albany terminals. It also offers on-site back-up power, which can be delivered as needed to emergency outage sites.
Propane marketers who are interested in learning more about Ray Energy’s Propane Rail & Truck Terminal should contact Stephen Heffron at sheffron@rayenergy.com or 518-527-9194; Glenn Young at gyoung@rayenergy.com or 518-527-8068’ or Justin Ray at justinray@rayenergy.com or 518-874-4510
Ray Energy began in Troy in 1904 as John Ray & Sons, delivering ice from the Hudson River in horse-drawn wagons. Over the years, the company added coal, wood, kerosene, diesel, and home heating oil to its inventory and an ethanol-free gasoline sold under the brand name Pit Stop.
Now in its fourth generation, the company has divested their retail business to concentrate on the midstream propane and premium gasoline businesses.
For more information on Ray Energy, visit www.rayenergy.com.