Horizon Terminals, a subsidiary of Enoc, is expected to start work on the extension of its 16 kilometre-long underground jet fuel pipeline in the fourth quarter of 2016, linking its storage terminal in Jebel Ali with Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South, and adding to the existing 58km of pipeline between the terminal and Dubai International Airport.

Dubai’s Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc) completed a $250m, 58km jet fuel pipeline from its terminal in Jebel Ali port to Dubai International airport in November 2015.

The pumping capacity meets 55 per cent ?of the airport’s fuel demand.

Whilst the main work on the extension will begin towards the end of this year, the front end engineering and design (Feed) work is already in progress. The new pipeline is expected to come on-stream by the fourth quarter of 2018, Enoc said in a statement.

The existing 58km of pipeline has been operational since March 2015, with a storage capacity of 141,500 cubic metre for transferring jet fuel to Dubai International Airport.

Enoc has worked closely with Dubai Airports since its inception, has been supplying jet fuel to meet increasing demand at Dubai International, and will support Al-Maktoum Airport in the same way. The airport is planned to have an annual capacity of 12 million tonnes of freight, and 160 to 260 million passengers, and a clear intention to transform Dubai in to the largest transport hub in the world.