Distribution of Jet Fuel for the Vancouver Airport

Controls for VAFFC Fuel Receiving Facility

Distribution of jet fuel is critical for aviation and requires a high level of safety and careful planning and execution. Learn how Letico helped the Vancouver Airport become a world leader in jet fuel distribution.

Summary

Letico provides controls for jet fuel distribution. Vancouver airport new distribution facility started with early phase groundworks in 2015 while Letico has been involved in the project from 2020 to 2023. Letico provided controls to govern all distribution processes. The now functioning facility receives jet fuel by barge, eliminating thousands of truck deliveries which were previously used to meet growing demand. Once received by barge, fuel is kept in storage tanks, then delivered to the airport via pipeline. Letico’s controls ensure all stages of distribution operate efficiently and with the highest levels of safety.

Customer benefits

Safety
Compliance with the strictest fuel distribution safety standards
Efficiency
Highly efficient delivery
Flexibility
Integration with other fuel distribution sites serving
Vancouver Airport

Reliability
Redundancy measures built-in to ensure continuous
operation
Support
Training on system post installation to make testing easier

Challenge

To manage distribution of jet fuel from Vancouver Airport Authority’s new facility, ensuring safe, timely and uninterrupted delivery of fuel.

Context

Prior to the new jet fuel distribution facility, Vancouver Airport was at capacity with its then 40-year-old distribution facilities, delivering fuel via pipeline and via barge and pipeline. Excess capacity was also supplied by tanker trucks direct to the airport. As demand grew, the pipeline and barge facilities reached capacity. Demand for trucks then grew to the point where the airport require a thousand deliveries per month at peak times, adding congestion and pollution to Vancouver’s roads, and increasing costs for airlines. To alleviate these issues and to plan capacity for the future, the airport authority proposed new capacity be built for delivery via larger fuel tanker ships.

Solution

The new facility includes a storage and delivery system comprised of:

a new marine terminal,
)six new fuel storage tanks, and
a new underground pipeline to the airport with 36% increased capacity

The new facility is designed to secure fuel delivery at the Vancouver Airport for the next 50+ years, serving 19 million passengers and growing. The six new storage tanks can hold approximately 80 million litres of fuel.

Letico’s control system ensures safe delivery of fuel from barge terminal to storage tank, and from storage tank to the airport via underground pipeline.

(Photo credit: The ACEC-BC Awards 2024 for Energy & Industry, Vancouver Airport Fuel Delivery Project, RAM Consulting)

Letico's contribution

Letico’s control system for the new facility integrated many features, making it easier, safer and more reliable to manage. Features integrated included systems for emissions control, leak detection and flow control, fire detection and suppression, video surveillance systems, electronic monitoring, system testing and manual operation.