Defense Work on an underground Defense pipeline
In association with
Omroep Gelderland
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 13:36
Defense will replace a 67 kilometer long fuel pipeline straight through the Netherlands. The pipe is used to transport kerosene for military aircraft, but is too small and very outdated.
This concerns the pipeline from Klaphek (near Lopik) to Best, which was constructed in 1954, reports Omroep Gelderland. The underground pipe was built at the request of NATO. He wanted the Royal Air Force to be able to take quick action against any Russian fighter jets. This meant that the aircraft at military airfields such as Volkel and Eindhoven always had to be refueled quickly.
The section of pipeline in question is part of a total of 5,279 kilometers of underground military fuel lines throughout Western Europe. These are interconnected, also with the port of Rotterdam and Schiphol.
But the section between Klaphek and Best needs to be replaced due to its age and coverage deficiencies, he says defence. In the event of a coverage defect, the pipe is not deep enough and flow is therefore not guaranteed. The current pipeline, with a diameter of 17 centimeters, is also not large enough. That should be 28 centimeters, Defense says.
The replacement of the pipeline will be a major operation, involving Rijkswaterstaat, ProRail, four water boards and twelve municipalities in the provinces of Utrecht, Gelderland and Brabant. In addition, Defense is in discussions with private land owners, such as farmers and entrepreneurs.
New route
The new pipeline will partly follow a new route, for example because the old route sometimes has many bends. Defense has asked three engineering firms to take into account the interests of, for example, water boards, nature managers and local residents – in order to determine the best location. It now appears that part of the new pipeline – from Lopikerkapel to the A15 motorway – will be located close to or at the location of the existing pipeline. At Zaltbommel and Vught it is still unclear how the pipe should run. Between Boxtel and Best, the pipeline can “perhaps” be bundled with the existing Gasunie pipeline, Defense says. “This has less impact on the environment.”
Because it is a matter of ‘national interest’, the Ministers of Defense and the Interior will jointly decide how the new pipeline will ultimately run. But first the consequences for the environment are examined and there are information meetings for those involved. There will be an online meeting on February 8 where everyone can participate.
The work will not start until the second half of 2026 at the earliest and will last until mid-2027.
2024-01-27 12:36:05
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