Government Pipeline and Storage System
 

Looks like the GPSS has been sold to a Spanish company:

CLH Current News

"I'll have 10000 Kgs of Avtur, please and a case of the 2007 Rioja"

O-D

Think of the environment, less Avtur, more Rioja.

Emmm... things go pear shaped with either Gibraltar or Falklands and they turn off the taps....

The entire GPSS is located within the UK. I'm sure if any taps were turned, it'd be a short walk for you fine chaps to re-establish flow!

Still, as privatisations go, this raises much deeper strategic concerns than simply flogging off the family silver.

Earlier collective thoughts on this topic :ok:

http://www.pprune.org/military-aviat...r-up-sale.html

Time to let it go. I grew up not terribly far from a couple of terminals and storage sites. To see them now, they are in need of investment.

Another way of looking at it is if there was any kind of Spetnaz-type attack on it, the entire 2000km of it is a liability.

It's a bit like circuit switching vs packet switching. A bunch of trucks on diverse routes are far harder to locate and destroy than a dedicated pipeline. The pipeline is also considerably more expensive to install than a fleet of trucks. With some buffer storage at the point of use, you're off to the races.

If we're talking about economy as opposed to security, then of course the ability to just pump more gas down the pipeline is very useful. But if the enemy wish to deny you the use of it, it's not terribly difficult to think of ways to disrupt it.

"Flogging the family silver" ? a better comparison would be selling a family business run by an elderly, tired and impoverished relative. As roadster says, time to let it go.

Spanish Company has bought the GPSS..... :D Good luck with that one!

As a footnote there's two pigs stuck in a certain section of pipe just outside of a now redundant PRE on a secret ex wiltshire airfield, I know there there. Saw em go in but come out??? Nope :(

That's spooky, I used to be involved with the pig tracking on the ground, to allow for recovery if the things got stuck. This was for another major pipeline operator not the GPSS, although our networks were integrated at points.

I see the site at Rawcliffe is for ALL the RAF stations in North Yorkshire. Fat chance of that surviving in the public sector.

I'm surprised civil ownership is an issue for some. 90% of the fuel is for civil users and without that it's unlikely the systems existence could be justified. And CLH are not ever going to be in a position to turn the taps off.

Dammed thing runs under my back garden (there are two pipelines at this point by the way) so unable to put up any permanent structures over them.

Not tempted to tap in Rocket? :E

Today's news was of a major oil find under Gatwick Airport. How convenient, no need for pipes at all. God's clearly a pilot!

I'm not sure jets work all that well on crude oil :) Mini-refinery and storage on site?

Running the GPSS at low rates of usage when the spare capacity can be used for civvy aviation and road use makes lots of sense. It unburdens the taxpayer and removes tankers from the roads. The products that run through the pipeline are bought under separate arrangements - the pipeline operator simply delivers packets of the correct grade fuel to your storage/issue facilities.

As far as the military or government having to own everything it uses or relies on, that is simply nonsense and the UK mil has worked with/depended on industry from the outset. The oil companies and infrastructure operators have a seat at various National Emergency committees.

This is a sensible move - pipelines are expensive and complex to install (imagine how many farmers' fields you have to dig up) and it should be a good money spinner.