Enoc Group said that construction of its 16.2-km jet fuel pipeline linking its storage terminals in Jebel Ali to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South is now more than 20 per cent complete, according to a media report.

The announcement was made during the 20th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition, (Wetex) 2018, reported Emirates news agency Wam.

The pipeline is scheduled to be operational in the first quarter of 2020, in time for Dubai Expo 2020. Upon completion, the pipeline will carry 2,000 cu m of jet fuel per hour to Al Maktoum International Airport, helping meet the demand for aviation services from a significant proportion of the international visitors to the Expo.

Saif Humaid Al Falasi, group CEO of Enoc, said, "We are committed to contribute to the long-term socio-economic growth of Dubai and the UAE. The jet fuel pipeline connecting to Al Maktoum International Airport is one project that reiterates our commitment to elevate our country’s key infrastructure.

“When completed, the pipeline will support the air traffic of more than 20 million tourists expected to visit Expo 2020 Dubai. We are on track to complete the entire project by the first quarter of 2020, just in time for the much-anticipated global event. The completion of the project will strengthen the supply of jet fuel to Al Maktoum International Airport and meet the needs of airlines connecting the city to the world."

Set to meet the demand for jet fuel at Dubai Airports up until 2050, the pipeline will be equipped with state-of-the-art safety features including a leak detection system, complete automation control and quality control, among others.

Enoc currently supplies jet fuel to Dubai International Airport through two jet fuel pipelines.

Al Maktoum International is expected to become the world’s largest airport with an annual capacity exceeding 220 million passengers and 16 million tonnes of cargo, and the jet fuel pipeline extension will serve as a significant part of the supporting infrastructure, assuring seamless jet fuel supply to the airlines.