A PLAN TO build a 16 kilometre jet fuel pipeline in Dublin has been called “crazy”.
The plan would see a pipeline built from Dublin Port to Dublin Airport, along the route of the Malahide Road, before cutting across Belcamp and up to the airport.
It would dissect a busy residential belt including East Wall, Fairview, Marino, Clontarf, Donnycarney, Artane, Coolock, Darndale, Ayrfield, Clare Hall and Burnell
The plan has been mooted for a number of years, but has now seen a formal planning application lodged with Dublin City and Fingal councils.
Fingleton White, the company behind the plan, say that the plan would bring Ireland in line with the UK and other nations.
They add that the pipeline is necessary because it takes nearly 16,000 tanker trips to keep the airport stocked with fuel.
Clearly, sustainable, secure and safe delivery of airplane fuel is a key service to the airport. Airport fuel is currently delivered to the airport from Dublin Port by road tankers.
In 2013, demand for aviation fuel at Dublin Airport stood at 630 million litres. With tanker capacity at 40,000 litres per vehicle, the service was delivered by around 15,750 tanker round trips between the Port and Airport. Demand is expected to grow to 1,450million litres by 2035.
The proposal documents add that the fuel is “relatively benign” and that Ireland is not warm enough to turn the fuel to vapour.
Fingleton White were granted planning permission for a similar plan in 2001, but postponed it after the September 11th attacks.
The fuel store at Dublin Airport would be redeveloped as part of the plan.
Crazy
The plan has long been opposed by the people of the Whitehall and Coolock areas and local independent TD Tommy Broughan says it is “crazy”.
He says that pipeline is unnecessary because of the building of the Port Tunnel and the fact that only 1.5% of all traffic in the tunnel is made up of aviation fuel vehicles.
“Residents in Copeland Avenue and the Malahide Road and district have contacted me expressing their shock at the submission of this crazy, half-baked and ill-thought out proposal.
I am deeply concerned about the proposal for the new oil pipeline route and the lack of adequate consultation that has taken place to date with all residents potentially affected and their public representatives.
“When it was first proposed in 2001, we had no Port Tunnel. The building of such a pipeline seems totally unnecessary now and will cause great distress and potential health and safety issues for thousands of Dublin Bay North constituents”.
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