This major project milestone was celebrated at the existing Transnet Pipelines Jameson park depot
When Mr Mafika Mkhwanazi opened the valve that saw the very first diesel fuel, arrive in Johannesburg after traversing some 550km from Durban.
Three types of fuel will be transported along this pipeline, namely Gasoline/Petrol (both unleaded 93 octane and unleaded 95 octane), Diesel (both low-sulphur diesel and ultra-low-sulphur diesel) and Jet Fuel.
In addition to the trunk-line, pump-stations along the route are also commissioned, and the completion of the coastal and inland terminals will see the completion of the first phase of this major project.
The completed system of assets will replace the 12-inch-diameter Durban-Johannesburg Pipeline (DJP), which has been operational since 1965 and is very near the end of its economic life as a continuous-operation, high-pressure, multiproduct pipeline.
This replacement system will comprise
160km of 16-inch-diameter steel inland pipelines;
a 550km 24-inch-diameter main trunk pipeline;
three inland pumping stations; and
two accumulator terminals.
Three types of fuel will be transported along this pipeline, namely Gasoline/Petrol (both unleaded 93 octane and unleaded 95 octane), Diesel (both low-sulphur diesel and ultra-low-sulphur diesel) and Jet Fuel.
When operational, the new pipeline will have an initial capacity to transport up to 1100 million litres of fuel per hour, and, through future expansions via the addition of up to five further pumping stations along the trunk-line route, will be enabled to deliver up to 3000 million litres of fuel per hour from the coast to the inland terminal. The 24-inch-diameter trunk-line will connect the inland and coastal terminals which will initially include approximately 170 000 million litres of accumulator capacity at both terminals. Through the NMPP, the security of supply to the inland regions will be greatly enhanced.
About Terminal 2
Terminal 2 is the NMPP’s inland terminal situated in Heidelberg, with a significant fuel storage capacity comprising 10 product accumulators, totalling totalling 192 000 million litres. In addition the project includes the construction of various minor tanks, a switching manifold, a control building, an administration building, a workshop, a medium-voltage substation, a fire pump house, a firewater reservoir, a spill basin with an effluent-treatment plant, a number of product dispatch pumps and pig launchers and receivers, and service roads.
The initial phase of the project will include
Three for low-sulphur diesel, each capable of storing 20 000 million litres of product.
One for ultralow-sulphur diesel, capable of storing 20 000 million litres of product.
Three for 93 unleaded petrol, each capable of storing 20 000 million litres of product.
One for 95 unleaded petrol, capable of storing 20 000 million litres of product.
Two for jet fuel, each capable of storing 10 000 million litres.