Three-runway System

New Aviation Fuel Pipelines Set World Record

In April 2018, the Airport Authority (AA) completed the installation of two 5.2-kilometre aviation fuel pipelines connecting the Aviation Fuel Receiving Facility at Sha Chau with Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), one of the milestone achievements for the three-runway system (3RS) project.

The endeavour is the world’s longest pipeline installation using the environmentally-friendly horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technique. Involving no dredging of seabed, the HDD technique avoids any disturbance to the marine ecology. Aviation fuel used at HKIA is transported from the Permanent Aviation Fuel Facility in Tuen Mun to the Aviation Fuel Tank Farm on the Airport Island via the Aviation Fuel Receiving Facility at Sha Chau. As the original pipelines are located only 10 metres under the seabed and some sections are directly under the reclamation site for the 3RS, new pipelines are required to take over the continuous supply of fuel from the original ones.

The HDD method allows the new pipelines to be installed at the rock layer 100 metres below the seabed, thus posing no disturbance on the marine environment. During the installation, the AA adopted many additional environmental protection measures such as regular ecological and water quality monitoring. Measures were also implemented to make sure that egrets inhabiting the area would not be affected. For example, construction works were suspended during the breeding season of the egrets from April to July over the past two years. The drilling range was restricted to 100 square metres and containment pits were constructed around the drilling hole to prevent pollutants from seeping into the birds’ habitat.

It was concluded that the undertaking did not produce any adverse impact on water quality, marine environment and surrounding ecology. The new pipelines commenced operations in June 2018.

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